The Unlikely Group Part 1
by Slytherinsalltheway
Summary: What happens when Harry willingly goes to see Voldemort? Voldemort actually wanted to see Harry. The odd circumstances form friendships and bonds. HG/RW/AD Bashing. Dark winning story. AU
1. Chapter 1

HP/LV, Harry and the Weasley twins, Fred and George, are at Malfoy Manor with Voldemort, Snape, and of course all the Malfoys. What Happens when Voldemort finds the Harry Potter Series and wants to read them with Harry? RW/HG/AD Bashing. Dark Winning Story

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 1

The Dark Lord summoned Severus Snape, potions master at Hogwarts. Moving briskly, robes billowing, he moved towards the edge of the wards. Little did he know that Harry Potter and the Weasley twins, Fred and George, were following him. Harry needed to talk to Voldemort, and the twins insisted they go with him. Harry wanted to see what Voldemort's real plan was for their world. Also, because Ron and Hermione left him after the battle in the Department of Mysteries 2 years ago. They made up before the summer started, they needed to stick together if they wanted to defeat Voldemort. Harry, however didn't forgive them, he just went along with it. Dumbledore had lost Harry's trust when he found out that the meddling old coot planed for Sirius to get killed. Dumbledore wanted Harry molded into the perfect pawn for the war.

Once Snape reached the end of the wards he apparated to Malfoy Manor. Before he apparated however, he never noticed that Harry and the twins grabbed onto his robes. Since Harry was under the invisibility cloak and the twins were dissolusioned. Once Snape went into the Manor and present himself did Harry show himself.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise" Voldemort drawled.

Harry to say the least was speechless. Voldemort, feared wizard in England, was standing there in what would have been his 20 year old body. Coming quickly out of his stupor he trained his wand on Voldemort.

"Hi Tom"

"Put down the wand, you foolish boy, I was going to have Severus bring you here anyways."

"Why?" Harry was very suspicious

"I came across these books that were written about you, and merely thought you should be here when we read them"

"Who's we?" Harry was still suspicious

"The Malfoys, all of them, Severus, and myself."

"And you want me to be here when you read them because…?" Harry wasn't going to listen to him yet.

"Because you foolish boy, one, if I didn't want you to read these books with us, I would of shot a curse at you before you even said anything. Two, I wanted to see if you would join me, on the dark side. And three, if you were really here to kill me, you would of shot a curse while I was talking." Voldemort was smirking

"Oh," Harry blushed a little. "I actually wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Voldemort raised his now visible eyebrow.

"Yea, I wanted to know what your plan was for the wizarding world, and if I agree, I will join you. But as your equal."

Voldemort thought this over for a little while, before nodding his head.

"What I want for this world is for us to be cut off from the muggles. If they were to discover we exist, they will ask us to find all the cures for all of the illnesses out there. If we can't they're going to blame us and try to kill us off."

Harry thought about it. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He just didn't like how Voldemort was trying to achieve this goal.

"I agree with your goal. But I don't agree with the method of achieving it." Harry started. "I will help you achieve what you want for us, but try not to do too many raids, and no senseless torturing or killing of muggles, and muggle-borns. I also won't bow down like your other death eaters. If you don't agree, we can start fighting now."

"No, no, that won't be necessary, I will accommodate what you have said. Now, how about we read those books?"

"Of course, do you mind if two of my friends are here?"

"Not at all, as long as they are on our side."

The Weasley twins chose this moment to show themselves. Voldemort was shocked he was expecting to see the youngest Weasley and that Granger girl. Harry noticed the surprised look on his face and commented.

"Surprised Tom?" Harry smirked. "Oh that's right, you didn't know that my so called friends blamed me for the disaster at the Department of Mystery two years ago."

"I…uh…am sorry for what happened. I actually never planned for Black to get killed I was going to try and recruit him. Bellatrix, well…you know how she is." Voldemort finished awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it Tom. Dumbledore actually captured Bellatrix and imperioed her to kill Sirius." Harry was angrier at Dumbledore than Voldemort right now. Yes, Voldemort was there, but it was Bellatrix who made Sirius fall through the veil on Dumbledore's orders.

Voldemort despised his muggle name, but he allowed Harry to get away with it. He actually thought Harry was attractive, and now that he was in his 20 year old body, he decided to try and whoo him. Not that he would tell him that of course.

While all this was happening, Snape was standing there, stunned. He didn't know what to do. Dumbledore would bound to notice that his pawn and the twins were missing.

"Very well, lets all move to the living room where the Malfoys are waiting for us."

"One more thing." Harry said, he turned to Snape. "What side are you really on?"

Tom was surprised, then he was angry. He shot a crucio at Snape, but stopped when Harry pushed on his arm to lower it.

"I know you're angry, but he could be an important asset. Well, Severus, what side are you on?"

"I've always had a dark preference. I changed when I found out Lily was in danger back then, but I always preferred the dark."

"How do we know he's telling the truth?" Harry wanted to know.

"The dark mark, it makes my followers to tell the truth when in my presence, if I command them to."

Harry nodded his head, and then said. "Well, that is all I needed to know, shall we go to where the Malfoys are now?"

"Yes, of course, this way."

* * *

Once they entered the living room the first thing that was heard was the Malfoy Heir, Draco, shouting.

"What the Bloody Hell is Potter doing here?"

"Language Draco" Draco's mother, Narcissa chastised.

A second later a second scream could be heard. This time it was the head of the Malfoy family.

"Why are there Weasleys contaminating my house?"

"They are here on my orders, do not question me." Voldemort said while glaring at Draco and Lucius.

"Of course, Sorry My Lord." Draco and Lucius said while bowing.

"Any other problems? No, good."

Harry and the twins weren't about to drop their guard with all of the Malfoys and Snape present. They knew Voldemort wouldn't do anything to them, since like he said, they were here on his orders.

"Okay we have the books, and everyone is here, lets start reading." Severus said.

He wanted to know what went on with Potter's former friends.

The Malfoys were informed beforehand that Voldemort wanted to read these books, and had agreed. They were curious about Potter's life. They weren't aware however that Potter would be here, and two Weasleys on top of it.

"Where are your other friends, Potter?" Draco asked with a sneer.

"Which friends, my friends are already here?" Harry said, pretending to be confused.

"Granger and the other Weasley, obviously."

"I thought you would of known already, Draco," He would of used Malfoy, but seeing as there were three in the room, it didn't. "Didn't you hear that we had a falling out in the beginning of our sixth year?"

"Well, yes, everyone heard about it."

"I didn't talk to them until the end of seventh year. We made up before the year ended this year, but I never forgave them. I decided to play along."

"How...Slytherin of you." Draco finally said.

"Now, if you two are done I would like to start reading these books. The first book is called **Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone**"

Voldemort read.

"Who will read first?"

"I will" Fred volunteered.

The all sat down on the couches like this:

Couch 1: Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco

Couch 2: Voldemort, Harry, and Severus

The Weasley twins sat down on the love seat. Fred opened the book and started to read.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 2

"The first chapter is called **The Boy who Lived.**" Fred read.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"Why would you want to be normal" Draco questioned, confused.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"Who are these horrid people?" Lucius wanted to know.

"Don't call them horrid, you don't know anything about them." Narcissa commented. Lucius mumbled something under his breath that Narcissa didn't notice.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

Harry had to quickly explain what a drill was to the purebloods.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came very useful as she spent so much her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

"I take back my last statement to Lucius. These people do sound horrible" Narcissa stated.

"Trust me, they are." Harry said.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"There is nothing small about that boy." Harry stated

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't meet for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and he good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.**

"I have a bad feeling about this, am I correct Potter" Severus said.

"One, considering we're reading about my life, all of you can call me Harry. Two, if you're thinking what I am thinking then you would be correct professor."

"Since you gracefully allowed me to call you Harry, you may as well call me Severus" He said with a little hesitance.

"You can call us by out first names to Harry" Narcissa said sweetly, speaking for herself and Lucius.

"Thank you. You may call me Harry as well." Harry smiled warmly. He decided that if they were going to read about his life, he might as well try to make an effort to be nice to them.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"A child like what exactly?" Voldemort growled. Harry was again surprised by his strange actions lately.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday out story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that a strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke,"**

"There is nothing little about that little monster" Harry growled.

**Chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. **

**It was the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar—a cat reading a map.**

"That is definitely Minerva." Severus said**, **90% sure he was right.

**For a second Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen—then he jerked his head around to look again, there was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What would he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light.**

"Of course, how often do you see a cat with a map?" Draco drawled.

**Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive—no, **_**looking **_**at the sign; cats couldn't real maps **_**or **_**signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

"Wow, long attention span, don't you think Gred?"

"Why of course Forge."

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes**

"What's wrong with the way we dress?" Lucius questioned.

"Because muggles don't wear robes like we do, use that poor excuse of a brain in your head. How you are my second in command is beyond me." Voldemort answered oddly enough, and Harry was thinking how much he has changed. Harry was gay, but never told anyone, and right now he thought that he could get used to how this new Voldemort looked. While he was stuck in his own thoughts, Severus was sniggering at the Dark Lord's comment, and Narcissa was trying to cheer her husband up. After everyone settled back down Fred continued to read.

—**the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why that man had to be older than he was, and was wearing an emerald-green cloak! **

"Really emerald green? It must have been a Slythrin." Harry smirked, Severus scowled, Lucius looked hurt, if it was only for a moment (though he would never mention it), but Harry missed the hurt expression in Voldemort's eyes.

**The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt—these people were obviously collecting for something…yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minuets later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. **_**He **_**didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, thought people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk**

"Sorry, did he just say we was going to walk?" Harry asked, not believing it.

"If you didn't say anything it will make sense Harry" Fred said, then continued reading.

**Across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on he way back past him, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he cause a few words of what they were saying.**

"**The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard—"**

"—**yes, their son, Harry—"**

"And so it begins" Harry said sadly.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking…no he was being stupid.**

"HAHA HE ADMITS IT" Harry yelled startling every one.

"Sorry guys" Harry said sheepishly. Voldemort gave him a small smile.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew **_**was **_**called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her—if **_**he'd **_**ad a sister like that… but all the same, those people in cloaks…**

"This part is boring, I'm skipping ahead." Fred announced. He wanted to get to parts with Harry. The rest agreed. They wanted to hear about people they know not these muggles who sounded horrible.

Going to when the Dursley's are going to bed for the day

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. He blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

Every one in the room growled at the man's name. Everyone was surprised, that the twins and Harry growled too.

"Problem Potter?" Draco asked.

"Harry, and yes Draco there is. He has been manipulating me my entire life and I was sick of it. He planned for Sirius to get killed, so I would trust him more." Harry said, trying to keep calm.

"You won't have anything to do with the old coot if I have something to do about it." Voldemort declared.

"Thanks Tom." Harry smiled at him. He smiled back.

**Albus didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in the inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again—the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Otter, until only lights on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eye Mrs. Dursley they wouldn't be able to see anything happening down on the pavement. **

**Dumbledore put the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. **

"**Fancy seeing you here Professor McGonagall"**

"I knew it" Severus muttered to himself, though Harry heard.

"Ughh, this chapter is sooooo boring" Fred complained.

"I hate to admit that Weasley is right, but this chapter is dreadful." Lucius said, Severus nodding his head

"Do I have to keep reading?" Fred whined.

"Harry, it is your life, do you wish to continue?" Narcissa asked sweetly.

"I don't even remember this, I was sleeping, but I'd rather not read it." Which was Harry's honest answer.

"Very well, Fred dog-tag the next chapter. I believe it is time for dinner." Lucius announced

"Good I was starting to get hungry" Draco complained

They all moved to the dinning room. Lucius sitting at the head of the table, Voldemort to his right, Harry next to Voldemort, Severus on Harry's other side. Narcissa sat on Lucius' left with Fred, then George and finally Draco. With a snap of Lucius' fingers, house elves came out with their dinner. They all started to have separate conversations around the table. Lucius and Narcissa talking to themselves. The twins and oddly enough Draco were talking at the other end. Voldemort and Harry were quietly talking, and Severus was brought into the conversation after awhile.

After Dinner they all moved back into the living room. They were all sitting in the same seats.

"Okay, who's going to read the next chapter?" Fred asked.

"I will" George volunteered

* * *

I won't cut chapters like I did in this one. I was getting bored with this chapter thought, sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

. Chapter 3

"This chapter is called **The Vanishing Glass.**" George read

Harry started to giggle.

"Sorry, I just remember what happened, you will be proud of me." Harry smiled, talking to the twins.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.**

"Shame really" Harry said.

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass four on the Dursley's front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time has passed. Then years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets**

Harry snorted, and the rest snickered.

—**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing computer games with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house too.**

"I will make sure there will be plenty of pictures of you soon Harry." Narcissa said calmly. Lucius knew she was trying to control her anger and tried to sooth her, running a hand on her back. Harry wasn't sure if he should be happy or nervous. He never really liked pictures that much.

**Yet Harry Potter**

The twins cheered.

**Was still there at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

"**Up! Get up! Now!"**

"I never liked that women, even when I meet you mother when we were younger." Severus said. Harry was surprised that Snape, no Severus Harry corrected, knew his mother when he was younger.

**Harry woke up with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

"**Up!" she screeched. Harry heard he walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember his dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

"That wasn't a dream"

"Well, I know that now"

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

"**Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

"**Nearly," said Harry**

"**Well get a move one, I wasn't you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

"You were cooking at age eleven?" Voldemort questioned.

"Yea, it's the only good thing that really came out of living with the Dursley's." Was Harry's reply.

**Harry groaned.**

"**What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

"**Nothing, nothing…"**

**Dudley's birthday—how could he have forgotten? Harry for slowly out of bed and started looking for his socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

All of a sudden everyone started screaming. The twins knew it was bad at the Dursley's but they never knew that was where he lived first. Severus was appalled that the neglect Harry was put through, he never wanted another child to go thorough what he had. The Malfoys were furious. They may have not liked Harry much, but they never would wish something like that on a child. Voldemort wanted to go to the house right now and curse them into oblivion. Harry was surprised at the reactions. He never thought they would act like this, especially Voldemort and the Malfoys. Once everyone was calm George continued to read.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

"Wow, this kid is more spoiled than I am." Draco commented.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise—unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,**

There were more outraged cries throughout the entire room. Harry was again surprised. He was grateful that everyone was angry; it was more than anything Dumbledore ever did for him.

"I'm going to hunt down these muggles and beat them into a bloody pulp." Draco declared. While reading the book so far, he was starting to see Harry for the real him, and was starting to like him again.

"Thanks Draco" Harry was liking what he was seeing. All of the Slythrins were starting to warm up to him. He was starting to see that they all had very different personalities from what he saw at Hogwarts. It was probably because Dumbledore was there to make them stressed, and the annoying Gryffindors didn't help much either. Again, George waited until everything was calm.

**But he couldn't catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

"Thank god for that" Severus said. He was also starting to see who the real Harry was. It might be too early for it, but Severus was also starting to see Harry as a son.

**Perhaps it had been something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinner than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a tin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

'Beautiful' Voldemort thought in his head. Because of the prophecy he had always tried to kill Harry. But he actually respected him, and now that he was willingly here, he would slowly gain Harry's trust and build from there.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because f all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

"I thought you didn't like your scar, Harry." Draco said.

"I don't now, I used to though because it was the only thing that the Dursleys didn't have. I hate it now because people won't stop staring at it and it's usually the first thing people notice about me." Harry replied, but not bitterly.

**He had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

"**In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions." **

"THEY TOLD YOU THEY DIED IN A CAR CRASH?" Voldemort and Severus screamed, the echo vibrating through out the entire manor. Harry flinched and they both noticed. They apologized and sat back down.

_**Don't ask questions—**_**that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

"**Comb you hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"Some greeting." The twins growled.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way—all over the place.**

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angle—harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

Here the twins started laughing. Their laughs became infectious and soon Draco was laughing. The adults were sniggering softly, trying to cover it. They were adults, they didn't laugh at childish name-calling.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

"**Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

"I'm surprised he remembers back that far enough." Harry snorted.

"**Darling you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

"**All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, because wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"What an awful child." Narcissa said.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another **_**two **_**presents while we're out today. How's that popkin? **_**Two**_** more presents. Is that all right?"**

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty…thirty…"**

"Good lord, this kid can't even count." Lucius sneered.

"**Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

"**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel.**

"**All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

"**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father, 'Atta bot, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"Why do they keep calling him tiny he looks like a baby whale." Voldemort said.

"Well to Vernon, he is little, Vernon looks like an adult whale." Harry informed.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

Harry had to explain all of these muggle contraptions to the purebloods.

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

"**Bad news Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her le. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"You mean Abrella Figg?" Severus questioned.

"Yup"

"Why was she there?"

"Probably to keep an eye on me on Dumbledore's orders."

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg was mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there.**

"I don't blame you." Draco said

**The whole house smelled like cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"He does have a name you know." Severus said.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there—or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend—Yvonne?"**

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"**You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer)**

"Remind me again why you weren't put into Slythrin." Severus said.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

"**I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

"**I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "…and leave him in the car…"**

"He's not a dog you know." Draco snarled

"**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…"**

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying—it had been years since he'd really cried—but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"**Dinky Duddydums,**

Everyone started to laugh hysterically at the name. The kids were on the ground laughing/crying. The adults were leaning on each other for support from laughing so hard, tears spilling from their eyes also. Once everyone calmed down, George began to read again.

"**, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil you special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

"**I...don't…want…him…t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

"Such a wretched child." Narcissa said, again.

**Just then, the doorbell rang—"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically—and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. **

Everyone growled.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursley's car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

"I'm warning you boy!" Harry suddenly screamed, making everyone jump. Severus and Voldemort mock-glared at him. Harry gave a cheeky smile back.

"**I'm warning you," he had sad, putting his large purple face right close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now boy—any funny business, anything at all-and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

There were outraged cries from everyone in the room.

"You are NOT going back there Harry, you'll stay here with us." Narcissa said, and everyone agreed with her.

"_You and I will be having a little chat before bed tonight." _Voldemort hissed in parsletongue to Harry.

"_Fine." _Harry replied.

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursley's he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald, except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar" **

"Hey, I happen to like that scar." The twins said.

**Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he **_**couldn't **_**explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

"Accidental magic." Lucius said.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puffballs).**

"EWWWW" the twins and Draco said.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"He shouldn't be punished for that anyways." Severus said. Harry was really starting to grow on him.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley and his gang had been chasing his as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as any one else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

"YOU APPARATED THAT YOUNG AND DIDN'T GET SPLINCHED?" Lucius, Tom (a/n, I'm calling Voldemort Tom from now on.), and Severus screamed. They had no idea how powerful Harry was until now. Harry had gone ridged. Only Narcissa noticed and went over and gave him a hug. It took a while, but Harry finally returned the hug. Harry thanked her, and the others apologized again for the outburst.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things; people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.**

"Hey Harry, you're even popular with the whale" the twins joked. Harry mocked-glared at them.

**This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"…**roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

"Bad move Harry." Draco said

"Thanks for stating the obvious, I always thought it was something the youngest Weasley's would do." Harry said sarcastically.

"Don't compare me to them."

"Of course Draco, my apologies." Harry mocked-bowed. Draco scowled.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Harry, "it was only a dream."**

"Well now I know it wasn't a dream." Harry said.

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursley's hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon—they seemed to think he might her dangerous ideas.**

**I was a very sunny Saturday, and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursley's bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

Everyone again growled at that. If they're glares could kill, the book would already be on fire. It took Harry to calm everyone down and preventing them to go to the Dursley's and hexing them six ways to Sunday.

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

The Twins and Draco started laughing again. The adults and Harry looked on amused.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley was Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They are in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his Knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top. Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

" It was good." Harry said, remembering that day.

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too god to last.**

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. **

"Oh no, I have a feeling I know what's going to happen." Tom groaned.

**It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snaked were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trashcan—but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

"I feel bad for that snake." Draco said.

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

"**Make it move," he whines at his father. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looks intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had dies of boredom itself—no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at lease he got to visit the rest of the house.**

"You have such a big heart." Tom observed.

"That's one of my Gryffindor traits."

"You don't say." Severus snorted. Harry mock-glared.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

_**It winked.**_

**Harry stared. There looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

"_**I get that all the time."**_

" **I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"**Where do you come from anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to he glass. Harry peared at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

"**Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see—so you've never been in Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T **_**BELIEVE**_** WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

"Tattle tale." Draco said

"_Now that I think about it again, I used to think that was Nagini whenever I thought back to that day." _Harry hissed to Tom.

"_Nagini was somewhere in a forest in Albania." _Tom hissed back.

"_Oh. Where is she now?"_

"_Somewhere around here, I should bring her in here, she should listen to this as well."_

"_I didn't know she can understand English."_

"_Oh yes, you wouldn't believe what she says about the death eaters. It is very amusing." _Tom hissed.

"Excuse me, I am going to go and look for my familiar, I think she should be here also, if Harry will be staying, I'd rather not have a snake after him all the time."

"She is in the sun room, my lord." Lucius said.

"Excellent, now excuse me." And with that Tom left.

"Continue to read without me!" Tom called back as an after thought. So they started to read again.

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"**Out of they way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. **

**Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no once saw how it happened—one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of terror**

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I cone…Thanksss, amigo."**

"And everything is just beginning." Harry said sadly.

(a/n- I cut out the next paragraph)

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to said, "Go—cupboard—stay—no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to un and get him a large brandy.**

"They can get arrested for that." Lucius said. Tom, who just came back, heard what was just read and went over to sit back down with Harry. Nagini came slithering in and curled up next to Tom's feet.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, whishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for food.**

"So this is why you're so good at sneaking to places." Severus said, mock-glaring at Harry. Harry just gave him a cheeky smile.

(a/n, skipping to the last paragraph in the chapter)

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"That's the end of the chapter," George said.

"I say, two more chapters before we all go to bed." Severus said. Everyone agreed

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 4

"Who is going to read?" Draco asked.

"I will." Harry said.

"This chapter is called **The Letters from no one." ** Harry read.

Severus chuckled; he would have to tell Minerva this eventually. She is the one who has to write and sign all of those letters, and often complained to Severus about it.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

Everyone was laughing at Mrs. Figg's predicament. But they all thought that the mini whale was too spoiled.

"_Who his this human who breaks things?" _Nagini asked.

"_That is my cousin." _Harry answered.

"_He sounds awful, if I ever meet him, can I bite him master?" _ Nagini asked Tom. Tom was about to say yes, but with the glare Harry sent he said no. Harry may hate his realities but he wouldn't wish them dead.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

Severus had no idea that Harry was ganged up on by a group of boys, like he was in his Hogwarts days. He seriously misjudged Harry.

"Harry, can I talk to you, tomorrow maybe before breakfast?" Severus asked.

"Sure." Harry wasn't sure what the potions master wanted, but he was willing to talk to the man.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join Dudley's favorite sport: Harry hunting.**

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school, and for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley, Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to stonewall high, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

"**They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall." He told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"**No thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as you head down it—it might be sick." Then he ran before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

The children again were rolling on the ground, laughing/crying. The adults having tears running down their eyes again. Once Harry controlled himself he managed to say, "he never did figure out what I said." That brought everyone back into a state of laughter. Once everyone calmed down, Harry began reading again.

**One day July, Aunt petunia took Dudley to London to but his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry was television and gave him a bit chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters.**

The twins were lost in another fit of laughter. Their laughter again trailed to Draco, who started to laugh. It took two minuets to calm down, and to start reading again.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

Harry snorted. The adults looked at book as though it just said the Dursley's won the lottery.

(a/n, skipping the next paragraph)

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went for the breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

"**What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. He lips tightened as they always did id he dared ask a question.**

"**You new school uniform," she said.**

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

"**Oh, he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

Now it was Severus who started to laugh. Harry and the twins looked at him like he was crazy. Their strict potions master was laughing openly, and when the Gryffindors were coherent enough to pay attention. Noticing the looks Severus said, "What? I can laugh you know, its just being around Dumbledore and idiotic Gryffindors can sour my mood most of the time." Noticing the glares he added, "Besides you Gryffindors of course, I can stand you, that is why I was laughing."

The Gryffindors liked the answer and Harry started to read again.

"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High—like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

"Yuck" Draco said, scrunching his nose up in disgust.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon come came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell of Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

"**Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

"Hm, the whale is actually making his son do something for once." Lucius said.

"Just wait for it." Harry said.

"**Make Harry get it."**

"**Get the mail, Harry"**

"See?"

"Yes, but he did use you name that time." Lucius said

"**Make Dudley get it."**

"**Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."**

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge,**

Harry growled.

**Who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope and looked like a bill, and—**_**a letter for Harry.**_

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. On one, ever, in his whole like, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives—he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:  
**

**Mr. H. Potter**

**The Cupboard under the Stairs**

**4 Privet Drive**

**Little Whinging**

**Surrey**

**The envelope was think and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple was seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter **_**H.**_

Harry and the twins cheered. Harry may hate Dumbledore, but Hogwarts was his first home.

"**Hurry up boy!" Shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bomb?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"You shouldn't joke about that." Narcissa said.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter.**

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Harry mumbled to himself before he continued.

**He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope. Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

"**Marge's ill," He informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…"**

"**Dad!" Said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

"Wow, this guy is a major tattle tale." Draco said. Wishing he could go to the Dursleys and drag them here, right now.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"Hey! Give that back to Harry!" The twins shouted, as if the people in the book could hear them.

"**That's **_**mine!" **_**Said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

"**Who'd be writing to you?" Sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights.**

Harry had to stop and explain traffic lights to the purebloods.

**And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge. **

"**P-P-Petunia!" He gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter and read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a chocking noise.**

"**Vernon! Oh my goodness—Vernon!"**

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

"Smartest thing he's done with it so far." Tom said.

"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

"_**I**_** want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's **_**mine."**_

"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

"There's that famous temper." Severus said. Harry blushed a little.

"**Let **_**me**_** see it!" demanded Dudley.**

"**OUT!" Roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind him. **

"He actually man-handled his own son?" Tom asked, not believing it.

"I was surprised too, but since I was also being man-handled I had other things on my mind at the time." Harry replied.

**Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between the door and floor.**

"**Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address—how could they possible know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

"**Watching—spying—might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

"Why would we waste our time following you when you weren't in danger at the time?" Severus asked.

"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want—"**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer…Yes, that's best…we wont say anything…"**

"Like that would stop us." Severus said, again.

"**But—"**

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

Once again outraged cries could be heard from everyone. The loudest from Severus, Tom and the twins. Severus wouldn't believe what he was hearing. He never imagined that Petunia, Lily's sister could do this to her own nephew. Tom never wanted another child to go through what he had. Yes, he went to an orphanage instead, but they didn't treat him nicely. The twins were very protective of their brother from another mother, and they would do anything to protect him. The more the book went on, the more Harry noticed Tom was acting very different. He was on his guard because the Tom he used to know would never want to protect Harry.

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

"**Where's my letter?" Said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon squeezed through the door.**

"How the hell did that whale fit into a cupboard?" Draco asked.

"Language." His mother said.

" I have no idea, I'm still wondering about that myself." Harry said. And truthfully he was, now that he was reading about it.

"**Who's writing to me?"**

"**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," Said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."**

"**It was **_**not **_**a mistake," said Harry angrily," it had my cupboard on it."**

"**SCILENCE!" Yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his smile into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

"It probably was" the twins said.

"**Er—yes, Harry—about this cupboard. You aunt and I have been thinking...you're really getting a bit big for it...we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom." **

"The pig gets two bedrooms?" Draco asked. Yes he was spoiled, but even he didn't have two bedrooms.

"**Why?" said Harry**

"**Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursley's house had four bedrooms: one fore Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog;**

"Poor dog." Narcissa said sadly.

**In the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot though when his favorite program had been canceled;**

"Does someone have a temper or what?" Severus asked/stated.

**There was a large birdcage, which once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only thing in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

"They weren't. Dudley never read those books." Harry informed.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't **_**want**_** him in there…I **_**need**_** that room…make him get out…"**

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given up anything to be here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

"I understand. I would of done anything to get away from it all." Tom said knowing how he felt. Severus nodding his head, having felt the same before.

(a/n skipping the next few paragraphs)

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the from door—**

"**AAAARRRGGH!"**

**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something bug squishy on the doormat—something **_**alive!**_

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squishy something had been his uncle's face.**

Everyone started to go into hysterics for what seemed the 10th time so far. But this time the adults were rolling on the floor, yes even the head Malfoy, and the strict Potions master. The children where again crying/laughing. Once they calmed down they saw the state of the adults and burst into another fit of laughter. They were gasping for breath by the time everyone finished.

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserable off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

"**I want—" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

"Now I know why Minerva was particularly cross that year. I didn't realize that whale of a muggle was so intent on keeping you there." Severus said.

"I don't understand why he didn't want me to leave, I mean he's been dreaming about it for a long time now." Harry said.

(a/n, skipping to when Harry and the Dursley's are at the Hotel)

**They are stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

"'**scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the from desk."**

**She held up a letter so they would read the green ink address**

**Mr. H Potter**

**Room 17**

**Railview Hotel**

**Cokeworth**

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The women stared.**

"**I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dinning room.**

"Just let him have a letter, for crying out loud." The twins said.

(a/n, skipping another paragraph)

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it **_**was **_**Monday—and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television—then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun—last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still you weren't eleven everyday.**

"What charming gifts." Lucius said sarcastically.

"Harry, dear, we'll make sure you have a proper birthday this year, don't worry." Narcissa said. Harry smiled at her, but was nervous on the inside. He didn't like making a big deal about his birthday. But he would take everything in stride like he always did.

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

"**Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

"The poor whale, is missing his show." Draco sneered.

(a/n skipping the conditions of the house/shack)

**Five minuets to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. Four minuets to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minuets to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minuets to go) what was that funny crunching noise? What the rock crumbling into the sea?**

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds…twenty…ten…nine—maybe he'd wake Dudley up just to annoy him—three...two…one…**

As Harry was reading the count down, his voice became quieter. By the time he reached one everyone had to strain to hear, even Severus and Tom, who were sitting next to Harry.

**BOOM.**

Harry screamed the last part. Successfully making everyone just three feet into the air. Everyone glared at him, Harry just smiled back.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Harry said, while tossing the book to Lucius.

"_Can I bite these whale-humans now?" _ Nagini all but whined.

"_No." _Tom said. He knew Harry wouldn't be happy and he wanted Harry to be his partner on the Dark side of the war.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 5

"The next chapter is called **The Keeper of the Keys."** Lucius read.

"HAGRID!" The Gryffindors in the room yelled.

Lucius sneered. "Thank you Pott…Harry for giving me the honor of reading this chapter. Making myself sound like an idiot the way Hagrid speaks."

"Don't insult Hagrid. Yes I don't like Dumbledore, but Hagrid was my first friend, and gave me my real first gift." Harry stated firmly.

"Just start reading dear." Narcissa said, trying to prevent a fight.

Lucius sighed and started to read.

**BOOM.**

Lucius screamed. Causing everyone to jump and glare at him.

**They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. **

"**Where's the cannon?" He asked stupidly.**

**There was a crash behind when and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands—now they knew what had been in the long thin package he had brought with them.**

Harry had to explain what a riffle was to the purebloods…again.

"**Who's there?" He shouted. "I warn you—I'm armed!"**

**There was a pause. Then—**

**SMASH!**

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

"Real subtle Hagrid." Severus said, shaking his head.

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

"Accurate description." Someone said.

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

"**Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"**

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

"**Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.**

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified behind Uncle Vernon.**

"**An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**

Severus, Tom and Narcissa were snickering at how Lucius sounded talking like Hagrid. Draco was unsuccessfully trying not to laugh out right at his father. Harry and the twins were looking highly amused.

**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

"**Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but ye've got yer mum's eyes."**

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

"**I demand that you leave at once sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

"**Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and three it into a corner of the room.**

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

"**Anyway—Harry, "said the giant turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here—I mighta sat on it at some point, but itll taste all right."**

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with **_**Happy Birthday Harry**_** written on it in green icing.**

"I didn't know Hagrid was secretly a Slytherin." Severus said.

"Nope he's purely Gryffindor, and that cake was the only thing he could actually eat. I don't know why he used green icing though." Harry said with a shrug.

"Coughslytherincough" Severus said.

Harry rolled his eyes and muttered "whatever"

**Harry looked up at the giant, He mean to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was "Who are you?"**

"How polite." Tom said. Harry hit him on the arm and mock-glared at him.

**The giant chuckled.**

"**True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

The twins cheered.

**He held out an enormous hand and school Harry's whole arm. **

"**What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd rather not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was going but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

(a/n skipping to when Hagrid learns Harry known nothing about the Wizarding World)

"**Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm keeper of Keys at Hogwarts—yeh'll know all about Hogwarts o' course."**

"**Er—no," said Harry**

"Articulate as ever." Severus said. That earned him a hit on the arm as well, and a glare.

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

"**Sorry," Harry said quickly**

"_**Sorry?" **_**barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them that should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't getting' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer crying out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

"**All what?" Asked Harry**

"**ALL WHAT?" Hagrid shouted. "Now jus' one second!"  
**

"Hagrid was definitely making me scared with all the yelling. I thought he was mad at me." Harry said.

"Well he should of told you everything and not to assume you did." Severus said.

"I wonder what it would have been like if you came to get me." Harry thought aloud.

"It would of…been…interesting." Severus finally said.

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

"**Do you mean ter tell me," He growled at the Dursleys, "That this boy—this boy! —Knows nothin' abou'—about ANYTHING?"**

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

"**I know **_**some **_**things," he said. "I can, you, do math and stuff."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About **_**our **_**world I mean. **_**Your**_** world. **_**My **_**world. **_**Yer parents' **_**world."**

"**What world"**

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

"**DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

"I think this is the only time I've Vernon actually look afraid. Well, at another person at least." Harry said.

"Well of course, it's not every day when you are getting yelled at by a half-giant." The twins said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"**But yeh must know about yer mum and dad," he said. "I mean they're **_**famous**_**. You're **_**Famous."**_

"**What? My—my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

"**Yeh don't know…yeh don't know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

"**Yeh don't know what yeh **_**are?"**_** he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

"Sadly" Harry, the twins and Draco all said at the same time.

"**Stop!" He commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!" **

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

"**You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

"**Kept **_**what**_** from me?" Harry said eagerly.**

"There's that Gryffindor curiosity showing threw." This time it was Draco who said it. Harry threw the pillow he was leaning on at him, and hit him square in the face.

"**STOP! I FORBID YOU!" Yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

"**Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry—yer a wizard."**

"Going for the shock vale you are you?" Severus asked.

"Of course, had Hagrid ever been subtle?" Harry asked.

"True."

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

"**I'm a **_**what?"**_** Gasped Harry.**

"**A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like youre, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The sea. He pulled out the letter and read:**

"Didn't McGonagall ever read where my letters were addressed to?" Harry questioned.

"I'm not sure, I will ask when I get the chance too." Severus answered.

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

**(Order for Merlin, first class, Grand sorcerer, Chief Warlock Supreme Mugwump, International confederation of Wizards)**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

** We are pleased to inform you that you have book accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

** Term begins on September 1. We await you owl by no later than July 31.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Minerva McGonagall**

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

Everyone cheered one the letter was read. Harry was blushing madly and hid his head in Severus' robes, oddly enough.

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

"Of all things you ask, you ask about a bloody bird?" Draco asked, not believing it. Narcissa lightly hit him over the head for his language.

"**Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl—a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl—a long quill, and a roll of parchment.**

"Poor owl." Narcissa said. She's always had a soft spot or all animals, well except bugs and reptiles (not snakes though).

**With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down: **

**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**

**Given Harry his letter.**

**Taking him to but his things tomorrow.**

**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well**

**Hagrid**

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, when to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was a normal as talking on the telephone.**

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

"**Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at the moment, Uncle Vernon still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight**

"**He's not going," he said.**

**Hagrid grunted**

"**I'd like ter see a great muggle like you stop him," he said**

"**A what?" Said Harry, interested.**

"**A muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest muggles I ever laid eyes on." **

Harry growled. "It wasn't luck, Dumbledore purposely put me there, knowing they hated magic."

Everyone growled at that. Tom silently promised Dumbledore a slow and painful death when he finds him.

"**We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

"**You **_**knew**_**?" Said Harry. "You **_**knew **_**I'm a—a wizard?"**

"**Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "**_**Knew! **_**Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that—that **_**school**_**—and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what he was—a freak!"**

Suddenly in the matter of minutes, Severus was on his feet, teeth clenching, wanting nothing to do more than to hex The Dursleys for all it was worth. Harry also leapt to his feet, but was trying to calm Severus down. Tom wasn't doing much better, Lucius, Draco and the twins had to calm him down. When Harry finally wrapped his arms around Severus' waist, he stopped struggling; he was shocked. After a while Severus returned the hug. The others weren't having any success in calming down Tom. Harry rolled his eyes, and walked up to Tom. He dragged him into a training room, and conjured dummies that looked like the Dursley's. Harry and Tom made quick work of the dummies and Tom was now calmer. Still wishing he could do that to the real Dursleys.

"Okay now Tom?" Harry asked.

"Yes, yes I'm okay. Thank you for that Harry."

"No problem."

They went back to the living room and sat back down. This time, Harry was leaning on Severus. Harry was thinking of him more and more of a father, and Severus was thinking of Harry as a son. Lucius began to read again after a moment.

"**But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

"**Then she met at Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as—as—**_**abnormal**_**—and then, if you please, she went at got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

"**CAR CRASH!" Roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

"**But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently**

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

"**I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble getting' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh—but someone's gotts—yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'"**

"He does tell you doesn't he?" Narcissa asked.

"Eventually, he did. I even got him to say Voldemort. You should be proud Tom." He added cheekily.

(a/n skipping to when Vernon insults Dumbledore. We all know the story of the attack anyways)

"**I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLF FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Yelled Uncle Vernon.**

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his hear.**

"**NEVER—" he thundered, "—INSULT—ALBUS—DUMBLEDORE—IN—FRONT—OF—ME!"**

"Oh now he's done it." The twins smirked. They obviously picked it up from the Slythrins in the room because Gryffindors just don't smirk like that.

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley—there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clapsed over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back to them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

Everyone cracked up laughing. They all knew Hagrid could have a temper, but they ever expected him to do something like that. It was too good. It took several minutes for everyone to calm down. The twins still giggling when their fits of laughter stopped.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

"**Shouldn'ta lost my temper," he said ruefully, "But it didn't wok anyways. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyways there wasn't much left ter do"**

**He cast a sideways glance at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

"**Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm not—er—not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff—one o' the reasons I was so keen to take the job—"**

"So that's why he went. I thought it was because Hagrid wanted to see you again after he left you 11 years ago." Severus said.

Harry shrugged.

"**Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" Asked Harry**

"**Oh, well—I was at Hogwarts meself but I—er—got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

Everyone growled at that last statement.

"**Why were you expelled?"**

"**It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that"**

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

"**You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."**

"That's encouraging." Draco said.

"That's the end of the chapter. Thank god, I was getting annoyed talking like that." Lucius said.

"I believe it's time fore bed." Narcissa announced. She called in a house-elf to show them their rooms. The twins were directly across from Harry's rooms; Tom was to the right, Severus on the left. Draco was all the way down the hall.

"Harry now that we have our rooms, I think it's time that he have that talk." Tom said.

"Okay"

"Harry, did you tell anyone what you're home life was like?" Tom asked once they were sitting in Harry's room on the windowsill.

"Of course I did. I told Dumbledore." Harry stated.

"I see. How come he didn't do anything?"

"He always said I was safer there because of the blood wards." Harry said, scrunching his face up in disdain.

"Ah, I see..." Tom said. There was uncomfortable silence afterwards. After a few moments Tom finally said, "I'm truly sorry for what I did throughout the years Harry. I was afraid of dying and learning that a little kid, no offence, would be the one to kill me made me kind of crazy."

"Kind of?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, very crazy." There was another moment of silence.

Harry sighed.

"I…its okay Tom. I understand, a little." Harry finally said.

"Thank you." Tom said then added, "If you ever need someone to talk to, talk to me or Severus. We may have disliked you in the past, but I can tell Severus is starting to care about you, and so am I. Believe it or not we all had a rough childhood and I want to be there for you."

After a second hesitation, Harry pulled Tom into a bone-crushing hug. He's always wanted someone to be there for him willingly. He used to have the Weasley adults. But that ship sailed after 5th year and he never really felt comfortable enough to share things like this to them.

Harry pulled back looked into Tom's eyes and said thank you. Tom knew he really meant it, he could see the look in his eyes. Harry pulled Tom into the hug because he could see how sincere Tom was being.

They bid each other goodnight and Tom went back to his room, and Harry moved over to the bed.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 6

Harry was the first to wake up. He padded downstairs and sat in the living room lost in his thoughts. Severus was the next to wake up and also went to the living room. He saw Harry and sat down next to him. Harry was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Severus sit down.

"Morning" Harry said

"Good Morning"

"You said you wanted to talk to me yesterday?" Harry asked/stated.

"Yes. I'm assuming you told Dumbledore about your home life?" Severus asked.

"Yes I did, and I had this same talk last night with Tom. He told me to go to either him or you if there's anything else I want to talk about."

"Me?" Severus didn't believe it.

"Yes you."

"Why"

"He said that you had a similar home life like me. That you understand what I went through. He said you could help me." Harry said.

"Do you believe that I can help you?" Severus asked, not getting his hopes up yet.

"…Yes I do believe you can help me, and I've always respected you. I'm also starting to trust you." Harry stated.

"That's good. Yes, Tom was right, I had a similar home life, except it was my father who abused me. I was in the same situation with Dumbledore as you were in also, except he told me that he was my father and loved me regardless." Severus sneered.

"…I know it might be too early to tell, but…I'm starting to see you as a father figure to me. The only people who have been protective of me were Sirius and Remus. Sirius was more like an older brother to me. And with Remus somewhere, I'm assuming on a mission for Dumbledore, I don't have anyone except the twins, and now everyone here." There was a pause. It took several moments until Severus answered.

"I am…pleased with that revelation. I have been seeing you as a son as the book continues. Maybe one day you could come and live with me, and maybe let me ado—" Severus was suddenly cut off. Harry jumped from his seat and hugged Severus for all it was worth. It took a moment but Severus suddenly hugged back. It was then that he noticed that his robes were becoming wet…Harry was crying. He pulled back, wiped away the tears and asked why he was crying.

"I'm not crying because I'm sad, I'm crying because I'm happy. I've never had someone who would willingly want to adopt me. Well Remus, but with his furry problem, that isn't an option. And I always thought he wanted to adopt me because he was friends with my father." Harry said, already having collected himself.

"So you would want me to adopt you?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Harry screamed, and hugged Severus again. Severus returned the hug instantly this time. Tom came down at that moment, and saw them hugging.

"Well, what brings this about?" He asked casually, but he was secretly jealous that Harry was hugging someone else.

Harry smiled brightly and answered, "Well, Severus here, just said that he would like to adopt me someday."

What ever Tom had been expecting, it surely wasn't that.

"What?" he managed to get out.

"Severus wants to adopt me and I want him too." Harry repeated.

It took a while until Tom smiled, and offered them his congratulations.

They all sat and talked, waiting for the rest to wake up. Once everyone was up, they moved to the dinning room for breakfast.

Once breakfast was over they moved into the living room again and sat in the same seats as last time.

"So, who's going to read this chapter?" George asked.

"I will." Draco said.

"This chapter is called…" Draco gulped. "**Diagon Alley." **

Harry started to laugh, he knew exactly why he paused.

Draco decided in that moment to move.

"Why'd you move honey?" Narcissa asked.

"You'll find out once I start reading."

"Draco sit back over here, now." Lucius commanded.

Draco shuffled back over, but now he was sitting in-between his parents. Harry was doubling over laughing now. He knew Draco would be in for it now.

After calming down, Draco started to read.

**Harry wake early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight,**

"**It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school to wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."**

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

_**And there's Aunt Petunia knocking now**_**, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes, it had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

"**All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claws on the window, a newspaper in its beak.**

"Why didn't Hagrid let you sleep on the sofa?" Severus wanted to know.

"I'm not really sure, I didn't mind though, I was sleeping on the floor already." Harry said.

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

"**Don't do that"**

**Harry tried to wake the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

"**Hagrid!" Harry said loudly. "There's and owl—"**

"**Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

"**What?"**

"**He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look the in pockets." Hagrid's coat seemed to be made up nothing **_**but **_**pockets—bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags…finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

"Why does he keep so much junk in his pockets?" Narcissa said with disgust. She looked slightly green in the face.

"Why didn't Hagrid wake up and help you?" Tom questioned.

"No idea."

"**Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

"**Knuts?"**

"**The little bronze ones."**

"Oh honestly, he doesn't know anything about our world yet." Lucius said.

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out her leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

"**Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London and buy all yer stull fer school."**

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

"**Um—Hagrid?"**

"**Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

"**I haven't got any money—you heard Uncle Vernon last night…he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."  
"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

"Does he explain nothing to you before hand?" The twins wondered.

"Well, after I asked him a million questions he did." Harry answered sheepishly

"**But if their house was destroyed-  
"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizard's bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold-an' I wouldn' say no the a bit o' yer birthday cake, either."**

"Real subtle." Tom said.

"He was a Gryffindor, they're never subtle." Severus said.

Harry smacked him on the arm and glared.

"Well you're the exception, you could be Slytherin also, Harry."

Harry was pleased with the answer and hugged him.

"**Wizards have **_**banks?"**_

"**Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

"_**Goblins?"**_

"**Yeah—so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe—'cept maybe Hogwarts. As s matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly.**

"I was so confused at that point." Harry said.

"The Hogwarts business wouldn't have to do with the stone does it?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"Uhhh…no?" Harry lied. Tom started.

"Fine, yes it had to." Harry finally said.

"**He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you—getting' things from Gringotts—knows he can trust me see."**

"**Got everythin'? Cone on, then."**

**Harry followed Hagrid out on to the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

"**How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

"**Flew," said Hagrid.**

"_**Flew!"**_

"**Yeah—but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

"How did you picture him flying?" Draco asked.

"I pictured him flapping his arms." Harry said and blushed.

Draco and the twins started to laugh. Harry blushed and hid his face in Severus' robes again. Severus wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders, trying to hide is own amusement.

(a/n- Skipping to when they arrive at the Leaky Cauldron)

"**This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "The Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

**IT was tiny, grubby- looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all.**

"They can't its enchanted." Lucius informed.

"Well, I know that now." Harry said, and rolled his eyes.

**In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Harry was steered inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a large pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.**

Everyone laughed.

**The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying "The usual Hagrid?"**

"**Can't Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

"**Good lord," said the bartender peering at Harry, "is this—can this be—?"**

"I was again confused."

"Don't blame you." Draco said.

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly completely still and silent.**

"**Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter…what an honor."**

**He hurried out from behind the bar rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

"**Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back." **

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

"Why was he just standing there, he should of done something." Severus said.

"I know, but not all of us are as intimidating as you." Harry answered with a smile.

"Thank you." Severus said, smiling back.

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

"**Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

"**So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

"**Always wanted to shake your hand—I'm all of a flutter."**

"**Delighted, Mr. Potter just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

"**I've seen you before!" Said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

"He bowed to you in a public place?"

"Yes, I was confused, and the Dursley's were fuming."

"**He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"**

**Harry shook hands again and again—Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes were twitching.**

**Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of you teachers at Hogwarts." **

Harry shuttered, and slowly inched towards Severus more. Tom noticed and was sad.

"**P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I cam to meet you.**

"Did you _have _to make him stutter, My Lord?" Severus asked.

"Of course, I wanted to make him look like an idiot." Tom said.

"Well that definitely worked." Harry piped up.

"**What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

"**D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all you equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

(A/n- skipping to when Harry opens his vault)

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

"**All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's—it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking.**

Everyone growled at that.

**How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

"**The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." **

"So now he explains it." Lucius said.

**He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

"**One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try and see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

"There's that Gryffindor curiosity kicking in." Severus said. The twins and Harry mock-glared.

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyholes.**

"**Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

**"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

"**How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

"**About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least—but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

"That's all it took for you to figure out what I was after?" Tom asked, definitely not believing it.

"Well…yeah." Harry said after a while.

(a/n, skipping paragraph)

"**Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped offer fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous **

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

"**Hogwarts dear?" She said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here—another young man being fitted up just now, in fact." **

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

Before Draco continued, he took some calming breaths. He remembered that day, and his parents were going to kill him. Harry was smirking.

"_What's so amusing?"_ Tom hissed in parsletongue.

"_Just wait and see, Draco is going to have a headache after he finishes reading." _Harry hissed back, still smirking.

"_Good, mini-blondie could use a good hit on the head, so could regular-blondie." _Nagini added. Harry was trying not to laugh out loud.

Once Draco was calm he continued.

"**Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts too?"**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

"**My father's next door buying my books and Mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting e one and I'll smuggle it in somehow.**

"Draco, this wouldn't happen to be would it?" Lucius questioned.

Draco gulped and nodded a little. Narcissa hit Draco on the head.

"Honestly Draco? Bully your Father into getting you a broom? SMUGGLING IT TO HOGWARTS?" Narcissa stated. Draco was getting paler by the minute. Harry was smirking; Severus and Tom were looking amused. The twins were laughing out right.

"_I see what you mean, was he always like this in school?" _

"_Yeah, he was worse sometimes though." _

"_Yea lady-blond, hit mini-blondie. HIT HIM HARDER!" _Nagini hissed. Harry was _not_ laughing hysterically.

"_Is Nagini always like this?" _Harry managed to get out.

"_Yes"_ Tom sighed, _"She's been getting progressively worse though"_

"_Hey I heard that!" _Nagini hissed

"_Sorry"_ Tom said

While this was going on Draco was getting lectured by his mother and Lucius was trying to calm her down, while trying to calm himself down.

Once everyone was calm, Narcissa said, "Every time you do something your father or I don't approve of you will either get a like smack on the head, or a quick stinging hex thrown at you."

Draco gulped; he's going to be in a lot of pain when everything was over.

"Yes Mother" he managed to say. He then started to read again.

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

"**Have **_**you **_**got your own broom?" The boy went on**

"**No," said Harry.**

"**Play Quidditch at all?"**

"**No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

"_**I**_** do—Father says it's a crime **

A stinging hex was aimed at Draco. "I never said that" Lucius hissed. Draco gulped, again.

"**If I'm not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. Know what House you'll be in yet?"**

"**No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

"**Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slythrin, all our family have been—imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

Smack. Narcissa liked swatting him on the head. Lucius preferred to hex his heir.

"**Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

"**I say look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

"**That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

"**Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant isn't he?"**

"**He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.**

"**Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of **_**savage**_**—"**

Smack. Hex.

"OW!" Draco screamed.

"Stop whining, I could do much worse." Lucius said. Draco stopped whimpering; he knew his father could do worse. He wasn't the Dark Lord's second in command for nothing.

"**Lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tried to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

"**I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

"_**Do **_**you?" Said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"  
"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with the boy.**

"**Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.**

Smack.

"**But they were **_**our **_**kind weren't they?**

"**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

"**I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you?"**

Hex.

"**They're just not the same, they're never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"**

Smack.

Every time Draco was hit or hexed, Harry would giggle, and Nagini would egg on the parents.

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

"**Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

(a/n- skipping to the last paragraph in the chapter, we all know what happens at Ollivanders.)

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight he rose in his seat pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid was gone.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Draco said.

"Who wants to read next?"

"I will dear." Narcissa answered.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters. It belongs to J.K Rowling

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 7

"The next chapter is called **The journey from platform nine and three-quarters."** Narcissa read.

**Harry's last month with the Durs-**

Narcissa was interrupted the signal that someone was calling by floo sounded.

"I'll be right back dear." Lucius said, and left. A few moments his shout could be heard. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Every rushed over to the floo. They all saw the floating head of the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.

"I know you don't expect me to be here, but I have urgent news that I have to tell Severus. I heard he was here and I decided to call." She said quickly.

"Hello Minerva." Severus said, moving to kneel next to Lucius.

"Severus, thank god. Albus just told me that Harry is missing. Can you help look for him?" Severus sighed. "Very well."

Severus turned around and said, "Oh look, I found him. What do you want Minerva?" Severus asked coldly.

"Wh-how-why-WHAT IS GOING ON!" She finally managed to get out.

"Um, I professor." Harry said timidly.

"What are you doing there Mr. Potter?"

"Umm, first things first, can you come through the floo?"

"Very well, everyone move."

After everyone moved, Minerva stepped through.

"Now what it thi-" She stopped, frozen on the spot. Standing in front of her now was Tom, who was glamored to look like his old self. Minerva fainted.

Everyone looked at her.

"I guess we should bring her into the living room and wait for her to wake up." Fred said.

"Right, you guys carry her in." Tom commanded, who canceled the glamor.

Back in the living room, Minerva was lying on the love seat, and the twins decided to sit on the floor.

Narcissa started to read again.

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him—in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

**Harry kept to his room, with is new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, **

The twins and Harry cheered.

**A name he had found in **_**A History of Magic**_**. His schoolbooks were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice.**

Narcissa scrunched up her nose.

**Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down the September the first.**

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television.**

"Do they think they're going to get smarter watching it or something?" Draco wondered.

**He cleared his throat to let them knew he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

The twins laughed.

"**Er—Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

"**Er—I need to go to King's Cross station tomorrow to—to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

"**Would it be alright if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

"**Thank you."**

"Where did that politeness go when you cane to Hogwarts?" Severus wanted to know. Harry stuck out his tongue.

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

"**Funny way to go to a wizard's school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures have they?"**

**Harry didn't say anything.**

"**Where is this school, anyways?"**

"**I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.**

"**I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock." He read**

**His aunt and uncle started.**

"**Platform what?"**

"**Nine and three-quarters"**

"**Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."**

"**It's on my ticket."**

"**Barking," said Uncle Vernon, howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

"How thoughtful." Draco sneered.

(a/n-skipping to when Harry's at King's Cross)

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

"**Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine—platform ten. You platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

"_Can I bite the whale-human now." _Nagini hissed, not even caring that she was whining now.

Harry glared and shook his head.

"_No, you can't."_ Tom said, really wishing he could say yes.

"_Why are you doing what lightning bolt says, master?" _Nagini asked.

"_What did she just call me?" _Harry hissed, literally.

"_Lightning bolt, duh. Isn't your scar in the shape of a lightning bolt?"_

"_Yes. But I-"_

"_Well that settles it. You have a lightning bolt scar, so I call you lightning bolt. Like I call the blond people over there mini-blondie, regular-blondie, and lady-blond. I call the red heads over there, carrot one and carrot two. I call the man, sitting next to you, wearing all black, bat man, and of course I call my master, master." _Nagini said.

While Nagini was speaking, Harry was trying not to double over laughing. Severus' name put him over the edge, he started laugh so hard, he had tears in his eyes. Tom also looked highly amused.

"What's so funny Harry?" Draco wanted to know.

"Huh…oh nothing, something Nagini was telling me." Harry said, it was half of the truth anyways.

"Tell us." The twins pleaded.

"No, if you want you can ask Tom though." Harry smiled at him. Tom mock-glared, scowled, and growl. Harry just kept smiling.

"You won't hear it from me." Tom bit out. No one dared to ask him anyways. He may of changed appearances, but he was still a Dark Lord.

"Keep reading, I'll think about it." Harry finally said.

(a/n-skipping to when Harry meets the Weasleys)

**Harry swung around. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair.**

The twins bowed.

**Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of them—and they had an **_**owl**_**.**

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

"**Now, what's the platform number?" Said the boys' mother.**

"Why did she ask, if she knows?" Draco asked.

"**Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also redheaded, who was holding her hand. "Mum, can't I go…"**

"**You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

(a/n-skipping to when Ron pulls out scabbers)

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.**

"**His name's Scabbers and he's useless, hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff—I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

Harry was shaking. He hated. No loathed Wormtail, he was the reason why his parents were dead.

"Harry what's wrong?" Severus asked, pulling Harry into a hug.

"Scabbers is Wormtail, who is Peter Pettigrew. He betrayed my parents." Harry managed to get out.

Severus just rubbed his hand up and down Harry's arm. He couldn't think of anything to say that would calm him down.

Harry motioned for them to continue.

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

"Of course it cheered him up." Harry said, with a far away look in his eye. Tom pulled Harry against him. Harry moved to get more confortable.

"**..And until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort—"**

**Ron gasped.**

"**What?" Said Harry.**

"_**You said You-Know-Who's name!" **_**Said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people—"**

"**I'm not trying to be **_**brave **_**or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn...I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

"**You won't be. There's loads of Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the car dears?"**

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

(A/n- skipping to the chocolate frogs scene.)

"**What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of chocolate frogs. "They're not **_**really **_**frogs, are they?" He was sting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

"**No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

"**What?"**

"**Oh, of course, you wouldn't know—"**

"You wouldn't say." The twins said. They were angry with their family for abandoning Harry.

"**Chocolate frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect—famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card.**

"Really, you don't even want to eat the chocolate?" Severus said exasperated.

"I wanted to see the card at the time." Harry defended himself.

**It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

Everyone growled.

"**So **_**this **_**is Dumbledore!" Said Harry.**

"**Don't tell you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" Said Ron.**

"I'm soo sorry that I wasn't raised in the Wizarding world." Harry said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"**Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa—thanks—"**

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**Albus Dumbledore**

**Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Gindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.  
**

"If I had just remembered that stupid card." Harry mumbled to himself. If he remembered the card, he and his 'friends' would of learned about the stone much, much sooner.

(A/n- skipping to when they meet Hermione)

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

"**Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

Draco was laughing so hard he had tears coming down his face.

"Who—would of—t-thought that Harry—could manage to be spot on with the description, but make it sound mean!" Draco managed to get out. His parents didn't even bother hitting or hexing him; he wasn't in public anyways to make a spectacle of himself.

"**We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

"**Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."**

**She sat down. Ron looed taken aback.**

"**Er—alright."**

**He cleared his throat.**

"_**Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."**_

**He waved his want, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

This time, the twins were the ones laughing. Only they had tears rolling down their eyes, and were rolling on the ground. They managed to high-five each other eventually. Harry looked amused. They eventually calmed down enough so Narcissa could continue.

"**Are you sure that's a real spell?" Said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard—"  
**

Narcissa had to pause for a moment to breath. How this girl could talk without breathing was beyond her.

"**I've learned all our course books by hear, of course, I just hope it will be enough—I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"**

**She said all this very fast.**

"You aren't kidding." Narcissa huffed.

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

"**I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

"**Harry Potter." Said Harry**

"**Are you really?" Said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course—I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in **_**Modern Magical History **_**and **_**The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts **_**and **_**Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."**_

"**Am I?" Said Harry, feeling dazed.**

"**Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.**

"Was she always this…straight forward whenever you talk to her?" Tom wanted to know. He hadn't really seen the girl, or heard her speak, thank god for that.

"**Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by fat the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad...Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."**

**And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

"Does that answer your question Tom?" Harry asked.

"Huh? Oh, yea it does."

"**Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell—George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud.**

The twins high-fived again.

"**What House are your brothers in?" Asked Harry.**

"**Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw **_**would **_**be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slythrin."**

Severus snorted. "Weasley in Ravenclaw. I would of died of laughter if they happened."

"**That's the House Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

"**Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

"**You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter."**

(A/n- skipping to when Harry officially meets Draco.)

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: It was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

"**Is it true?" He said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickest and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

"**Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."**

**Rom gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

"**Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." **

Smack. Smack. Smack.

"Narcissa," Harry said. "I know that Draco was a prat when he was younger," Draco glared but stayed silent. Harry continued, "but he's sown me that he actually cares now, and he hasn't said anything mean to me since my arrival. I put everything that happened in the past, in the past. I would appreciate that you don't punish Draco for anything he did in the past anymore."

"Of course Harry, and well said. We will honor your wishes. Even though Draco deserves it." Narcissa said, adding that last statement more for herself than for Harry.

"I also promise not to hex my son anymore." Lucius said. He preferred not to anger his wife by disagreeing.

"Thank you." Harry said, smiling.

Draco mouthed a think you and relaxed more, knowing he wouldn't get punished for his past anymore.

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. **

"**I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.**

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

"**I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way are your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."**

Forgetting about their promises, Narcissa and Lucius, smacked and hexed Draco.

"YOU DON'T GO INSULTING THE DESEASED!" Narcissa screamed, probably making Draco deaf in the process. Harry let this one go, he did deserve it after all.

"_Hit him again lady-blonde, but this time HARDER!"_ Nagini said, even though no one could understand her, save Tom and Harry.

(a/n- going to the last sentence in the chapter)

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

"That's the end of the chapter. Who's going to read next?" Narcissa said.

"I will." Tom volunteered.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters. It belongs to J.K Rowling

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling.**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 8

"This chapter is called **The Sorting Hat.**" Tom read.

Harry tried to sink into the couch. No one knew about how he was almost sorted into Slytherin, and now ironically, there were mostly Slythrins here to find out.

**The door sung ope-**

They heard a groan coming from the love seat. Tom quickly glamored himself. Minerva opened her eyes and sat up slowly. Then she took in the scene. The Malfoys were all sitting on one couch, not sitting perfectly straight. Harry was sitting in-between Severus and Tom (Voldemort to Minerva), looking quite comfortable, and neither Tom nor Severus were complaining. And the Weasley twins were sitting on the floor.

"What is going on here?" She said, using her teaching voice.

"Question first, are you still loyal to Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"I am loyal to him for the sake of the students. If he wasn't the headmaster I wouldn't be loyal." Minerva said under the influence of Veritaserum that Severus administered.

"Well, me and the twins followed Severus to a Death Eater meeting. It turned out that Tom wanted to read a series of book he found with me. These books are about my life. I also do not trust Dumbledore or my 'friends' any longer. I heard that Dumbledore planned Sirius' death so I would be more loyal to him." Harry explained while Minerva was given the antidote to the truth serum. She gasped at that last bit of information.

"Why don't you trust Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger any longer?"

"Well, after Severus had to teach me Occulmency and Legitamency, I secretly used it to see if my friends were as loyal as they seem. It turns out they aren't, Dumbledore has been using my vaults to pay them to keep him informed of anything that has to do with me."

"Then why are Fred and George here?" Minerva's head was spinning.

"Because we didn't know-" Fred started.

"About our 'family' being paid-" George continued.

"Off. Also, we follow our-"

"Little brother anywhere, -"

"No matter what side of the war he's fighting on." The twins finished together.

Minerva was still processing this information until finally she stood up abruptly and screamed, "I AM GOING TO KILL THAT MEDDLING OLD COOT IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!" Everyone was shocked at her outburst. She was usually a very collective woman, who was able to contain her anger, sometimes better than Severus.

"Minerva, as much as you want to, you cannot. I admit, I want to, but for now we will continue to read these books."

"What about my mission?"

"Floo back, tell Dumbledore you have found nothing, and that you couldn't find me. Tell him that you are going undercover to find him, and that you can't be contacted. Then come back here." Severus suggested.

"No wonder you were always good being a double-agent Severus." Minerva confessed.

"Thank you. Now go, we will wait until we continue the book." Severus stated.

With that, Minerva went back to the floo and was swept away to Hogwarts, and that meddling old coot, named, Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

*At Hogwarts*

Minerva quickly made her way up to Dumbledore's office. She gave the password, and walked up the spiraling staircase.

"What have you found out about Harry?" Albus said in a worried voice.

"I have found nothing, and I can't find Severus either." She lied.

Dumbledore sighed. He looked at old as he was.

"Do you have any other suggestions? No one else can find him either." Dumbledore said.

"I was planning to go undercover to find what I can." Minerva again lied.

"You are not going to become a Death Eater." Dumbledore said, leaving no room for an argument.

"I never said that, I was going to do what the muggle cops do, blend in with the people. I would alter my appearance so no one would notice me." Minerva was getting better at lying.

"That's a good idea, when will you get ready to leave?"

"As soon as possible." Well, that was the truth.

"Good, good."

"Also, I can't have any contact with anyone if I can to be undercover." It wasn't all a lie.

"That is what I am worried about, how will I know if you have found anything or not?"

"If I do it will be something substantial enough to plan a raid. Only then will I come back and tell you."

"I do not like these circumstances. Very well. Good luck." Dumbledore finally said.

"Thank you Albus." And with that Minerva left the office, went to her quarters, packed a bag, and used her personal floo to go back to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

Once Minerva was back at Malfoy Manor and meet the new Tom, did they sit back down to continue reading. The seating the same as before, except this time Minerva wasn't lying down, she was sitting. Tom continued to read.

**The door sung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.**

"This would be me correct?" Minerva asked.

"Yup." Harry smiled; he was glad that his Head of House stood behind him.

"**The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

"**Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from there."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit a whole of the Dursley's house in it.**

"The Dursleys are your relatives?" Minerva had a lot to learn.

"Yes, and I will explain everything during lunch." Harry reassured her.

"_Who his this new woman?" _Nagini asked.

"_She is My Head of House, and she is now on the Dark side." _Harry said.

"_Oh, I will call her…lady grey then."_ Nagini decided.

"What did the snake say Potter?"

"Call me Harry, everyone else is, and she was asking me who you were."

"Very well, you may call me Minerva then."

"Thank you."

Once that was done, Tom started to read again.

**The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right—the rest of the school must already ne here—but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather close together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

"**Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into you Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room."**

"It was a great speech." Harry said

Minerva's cheeks pinked slightly. "Thank you"

"**The four Houses are called Gryffindor,"**

The Gryffindors in the room cheered, except Minerva. She wasn't comfortable enough yet to let down her guard.

"**Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slythrin."**

This time the Slythrins cheered. Draco being the loudest. Harry was surprised that Severus actually clapped. Minerva wasn't used to seeing the Malfoys or Severus being so carefree about their emotions, postures, ect.

**Each House has its own noble history and each had produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule braking will loose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

"Did you say that last part specifically for Neville?" Harry wondered.

"Of course, I don't know how he got into Gryffindor, but I am always pleased when someone enters my House."

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.**

"That, my dear Harry was a lost cause." The twins said.

"I realize that now. I was nervous then."

"**I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

(A/n-skipping to when Minerva comes back)

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghost floated away through the opposite wall.**

"**Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to head, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.**

(a/n-skipping to after the hat sings.)

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quiet and still again,**

"**So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry.**

"**I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."**

The twins high-fived again.

"Was Weasley always that gullible?" Narcissa asked.

"Of course he was, never learned from having 5 older brothers. Shame really." George said faking sympathy.

**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a House for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.**

Everyone chuckled. Harry blushed and hid his face in Tom's robes this time. Tom put the hand that wasn't holding the book around Harry's shoulders.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll or parchment.**

"**When I call you name, you will put on the hat and sit on the tool to be sorted," she said. "Abbot, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell down over her eyes and sat down. A moment's pause—**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!" Shouted the hat.**

**The table on the right cheeped and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

(a/n-skipping to when Draco gets sorted.)

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head with it screamed, "Slytherin!"**

Draco was smiling proudly, remembering that day. Severus and his family smiled at him. Tom gave him a tiny nod of approval.

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now.**

"**Moon"…, "Nott"…, "Parkinson"…, then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and Patil"…, then "Perks, Sally-Anne"…, and then, at last—**

"**Potter, Harry!"**

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires over the hall.**

"_**Potter,**_** did she say?"**

"_**The **_**Harry Potter?"**

While Tom was reading, Harry tried to make himself invisible.

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

Harry was now hiding his face in Tom's side.

"**Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. **

"I didn't know the hat actually talked to you." Draco said.

"Well, not all of us knew where they belonged." Harry said, his voice muffled from hiding.

"**Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes—and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting…so where shall I put you?"**

**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, **_**Not Slytherin, Not Slytherin.**_

"**Not Slythrin, eh?" Said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slythrin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that—no? Well, if you're sure—better be GRYFFINDOR!"**

The living room was silent. Everyone was looking at Harry, who was blushing even more now and refused to come out of hiding.

"Harry?" Tom said in a calm voice.

"Mmm?" Harry mumbled.

"Why didn't you tell us that you were almost in Slytherin?" Severus asked, curious and concerned.

"I didn't want anyone to think differently of me." Harry said, coming out of his hiding spot.

"We wouldn't think differently of you. You've been showing Slythrin qualities all you're life. I often wondered why you weren't in Slytherin to begin with." Severus said.

"I am pleased you made it to my House Harry, but I wouldn't think any less of you because you were almost made a Slytherin." Minerva said, smiling

"It doesn't-" George started.

"If you were-" Fred continued.

"Selected to be-"

"In Slytherin, it was the past-"

"You'll always be our baby brother." The twins finished, going over to hug Harry.

"I'm sorry about how I treated you at school Harry. I can guarantee though, if you were in Slytherin we would be friends." Draco said, offering his hand. Harry accepted the friendship he turned down all those years ago. Harry was feeling better and sat up again, but he still was leaning on Tom.

"Thanks guys." Harry said, and smiled at everyone. Tom and The parent Malfoys didn't say anything, but he knew that they reflected what Severus had said.

(a/n-skipping to when Harry learns about Severus)

**Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and shallow skin.**

Everyone was trying to cover their laughter. Severus mock-glared at Harry, then he pulled him into a hug, surprising the Gryffindor. Harry was surprised that Severus initiated the hug, but he soon hugged back. Harry didn't know why Severus had hugged him after he heard that description, but it didn't matter. He was glad Severus was showing affection publicly.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes—and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar of Harry's forehead.**

"Why did you stare at me?" Harry asked

"One, because you are Harry Potter, two because I saw your eyes, and it startled me that they look so much like Lily's." Severus said.

"**Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

"**What is it?" Asked Percy.**

"**N-nothing."**

**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to sake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look—a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.**

Severus winced slightly.

"**Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" He asked Percy.**

"**Oh, you know Professor Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape."**

Draco and Harry cheered. Severus's cheeks pinked slightly.

"**He teaches potions, but he doesn't want to—everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

"Why would I want the DADA position if I have a mastery in Potions?" Severus wondered.

Harry and Draco shrugged.

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

"**Ahem—just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember as well."**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eye flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

Fred and George high-fived, then growled at Dumbledore.

"**I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their House should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that his year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."**

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

"Why did you laugh?" Fred asked.

"I thought he was joking at the time, and that a headmaster of a school wouldn't put something where kids could access and die." Harry said.

"Well we know better now, don't we?" George asked, pretending act like a responsible parent.

"Yes sir!" Harry saluted him and laughed, so did everyone else.

"**He's not serious?" He muttered to Percy.**

"**Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere—the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least." **

"Of course Mr. Prefect,we'll make sure to tell you everything." The twins said, and bowed, pretending Percy was really there to say that too.

"**And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teacher's smiles had become rather fixed.**

"How did you notice that?" Minerva asked.

"I notice all of the little things, have to if you live with the Dursleys."

"_I wish I could bite the two whale-humans, and the horsey-human." _Nagini Muttered.

Harry laughed and petted her.

(a/n-skipping to the last paragraph in the chapter.)

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slythrin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slythrin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully—and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it—then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold—there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.**

"That was the oddest dream I've ever heard." Draco said.

"I know, I don't know why I dreamed of it to begin with." Harry answered.

**He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Tom said.

"One more chapter, then its time for lunch." Narcissa declared. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 9

"Who's going to read?" Draco wondered.

"I will." Severus said, Tom handed him the book.

"The next chapter is…" Severus sighed, just his luck, he was reading about himself. "**The Potions Master."** He finished. He wasn't going to enjoy this, he had a feeling.

(a/n- I'm skipping right to Hagrid's letter to Harry. We all know what Hogwarts looks like, and the teachers.)

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a not onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:**

**Dear Harry,**

**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.**

**Hagrid**

"That was nice of him." Narcissa said, trying to say nice things about the half-giant.

**Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled **_**Yes, please, see you later**_** on the back of the note ad sent Hedwig off again.**

"Where did your politeness go?" Severus wondered.

"It left when I started spending more time with Weasley and Granger. They fight non-stop and Ron was the worst manners, luckily I didn't pick up his eating habits." Harry said.

"Yes thank god for that." Draco said.

**It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.**

Severus flinched. "Sorry about that Harry."

Harry sighed. "It's okay, I understand a little." Harry smiled and moved from Tom's side to Severus', showing him he already forgave him.

**At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape dislike him. By the end of the first Potions lesson he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry—he **_**hated **_**him.**

"I never hated you. The first thing I thought of when I saw you was James Potter, and it brought back bad memories, and I took it out on you. I'm so sorry." Severus said.

"It's okay, I know my dad did some horrible things to you back then. I forgave you the moment you started to relax around us Gryffindors." Harry smiled and hugged Severus. After their hug, Severus wrapped an arm around Harry. Harry also had taken Tom's hand in his, to show we wasn't being left out.

Minerva smiled. She liked seeing this side of Severus and Harry.

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.**

"Why did you have to put those there?" Draco asked. Yes he like potions, and Severus, but those animals creped anyone out if they went into the potions classroom.

"They are there for intimidation." Severus said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

**Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.**

"**Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new-**_**celebrity."**_

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.**

Harry sighed.

"**You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word—like Professor McGonagall the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.**

Minerva and Severus smiled at this.

"**As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly shimmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." **

"SEVERUS TOBIS SNAPE!" Narcissa screamed. "You did not just call a bunch of kids dunderheads!"

Severus gulped. He had never been on the receiving end of Narcissa's anger, and he didn't want to now. Severus decided to remain silent, and continue to read.

**More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.**

"Of course." Harry mumbled.

"**Potter!" Said Snape suddenly.**

"That startled me." Harry said.

"Sorry." Severus said simply.

"**What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?**

_**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? **_**Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.**

"**I don't know, sir," said Harry**

**Snape's lip curled into a sneer.**

"**Tut, tut—fame clearly isn't everything."**

**He ignored Hermione's hand.**

"**Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"**

"Do you usually ask first years, third year questions?" Lucius asked. Severus sighed again.

"No," he admitted. "I was caught up in my hatred for James Potter then."

"Guys, stop, leave him alone. I forgave him, and besides, he's turning into a big softie now." Harry said.

Everyone sniggered. Snape mock-glared. Harry smiled.

**Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.**

"**I don't know sir."**

"**Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"**

**Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes.**

"I have to admit, you had guts looking into my eyes the whole time. Most kids would crumble after one question, and I'm pretty sure a Hufflepuff would cry." Severus said.

**He **_**had **_**looked through his books at the Dursley's, but did Snape expect him to remember everything in **_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?**_

"No I didn't."

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand. **

"**What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"**

**At this, Hermione stood up, he hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

"coughshowoffcough." Draco said.

"**I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"**

"There's your Gryffindor brashness." Draco said smiling. They Gryffindors in the room mock-glared.

**A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.**

"**Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for Monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" **

"You didn't tell them to." Narcissa said.

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."**

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching then weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like.**

"If you continue to teach Severus," Lucius said. "Please refrain from favoring my son from now on."

"Of course Lucius, I planned too anyways."

**He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a house hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.**

"It was pretty disgusting." Harry said. Draco and Severus nodded in agreement.

"**Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"**

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

"**Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.**

"**You—Potter—why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."**

**This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.**

"**Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."**

"I think that was the smartest thing he's ever said." Severus said.

"I agree." Everyone abided to Harry's wish, and didn't comment on Severus' teaching, or behavior.

(a/n- skipping to after Harry reads the Gringotts Breaking article)

**Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

"**Hagrid!" Said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"**

**There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eye's this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. **_**The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day.**_** Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?**

"And now you start to figure it all out." Tom said, shaking his head.

**As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry though that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid.**

"Should that be insulting?" Minerva asked.

"Of course not, but the first days of classes aren't that really interesting and we just went over what the topic was mostly." Harry said.

**Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?**

"How did you figure out that I had a part in what was going on?" Severus asked.

"I don't know, I think it was just a hunch anyways."

"Well, that's the end of the chapter. I believe it's time for lunch." Severus said.

"Let's go to the dinning room." Lucius said, standing up.

"Harry, I believe you owe me an explanation." Minerva said.  
"Yes, of course, would you like to eat in here or talk in the dinning hall?"

"I think eating here would be better." Minerva said.

"In that case, I will tell the house-elf to bring two lunches in here." Lucius said. Everyone went into the dinning hall, leaving Harry and Minerva to talk.

Harry explained everything that's happened at the Dursleys, leaving nothing out. Everyone here knew so it would only be fair. Harry also explained everything that had been going on here at Malfoy Manor, except Nagini's nicknames of course. Minerva was shocked, she never knew the extend of Harry's life before going to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had always told her that Harry was fine.

* * *

*Meanwhile in the dining room*

"So," Tom started, he put up a silencing ward so Harry couldn't hear. "Harry's birthday is in two days." When Severus unknowingly brought Harry and The twins here, it had been four days until Harry's birthday. The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were staying at the castle that summer to train and to stay safe from death eaters and Voldemort (Tom).

"We know, we already have something for him, but it's at Hogwarts." The twins said.

"Hmmm" Tom thought. _"Nagini, can you get in and out of Hogwarts without being seen?"_

"_If you shrink he enough to look like a regular snake, yes."_

"Can you describe where and what the package looks like? I believe Nagini can get in and out of Hogwarts undetected. Or if anyone has an animagus form, they can also go."

"Have one," Severus said. "My form is a snake."

"We also managed to become animagi." The twins informed.

"I am a beaver." Fred said.

"And I am a owl." George said.

"Excellent, Severus will join you. When do you want to go?"

"I think now would be best. They're usually training us by now, so they're in the Room of Requirement." Fred informed.

"Good. I will tell Harry where you have gone. We will wait until you come back to continue reading."

"Meet back here in five minutes." Severus said, he had to get some potions just in case.

Five minutes later, they were ready. Severus apprated them farther away from the wards, so they wouldn't alert Dumbledore. They transformed and made their way to the castle.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 10

Severus and the Weasley twins changed into their animagi forms. George flew slightly higher than Severus when he stands tall in snake form. The coast was clear, they made it through one of the secret entrances and went to the twin's quarters. They shared their quarters with Harry and Ron. They only had to worry about Ron because Harry was with them, of course. George flew ahead before Severus and Fred moved any further. When George came back he gave the all clear signal. They're rooms were on the fourth floor. They got there, George transformed back said the password and went transformed back. They all went in and this time Fred transformed. He ran to their bedroom, picked up the gifts, shrunk them and tied them to George's leg. They quickly moved back to hall, but had to quickly move into the shadows because Ron and Hermione were walking to the portrait.

"Where do you think Potter and my brothers went?" Ron asked, sneering at the word 'brother'

"I don't know, but they better get back soon, I didn't sacrifice my life for Potter all these years for nothing." Hermione said.

Severus shot a look at the twins who looked back. They wanted to hear as much as they could.

"Where do you think he's gone, it's been two days, and Albus doesn't know where he went. Minerva went undercover and Snape's disappeared." Hermione continued.

"Well, Snape's no help anyways, Albus says he's a spy but I don't believe him. Minerva was never really any help to begin with. Yes she helped with our animagus forms, but she hasn't done anything else." Ron said.

"What do you think we should do?" Hermione asked.

"Wait until after his birthday, that way we don't have to waist more money on him."

The twins wanted to beat them senseless, but they had to stay camouflaged in the shadows.

"True, okay, we will wait until after his birthday. If nothing come up after then, we will do to Albus and ask him what exactly he's doing."

"Okay, the faster we kill the snake faced bastard the faster we can ditch Potter, and we get our sum of money Albus promised us from Potter's vault for winning the war."

Severus and the twins were shocked, too shocked to move. They were stealing money from Harry? They had to get back quickly. It just happened, that Ron and Hermione went through the portrait and out of sight. The group moved quickly and quietly towards the entrance of the secret passage they came through. They were about to open it when Albus came walking down the hall with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Have you found the boy yet, Albus?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No, the brat has yet to show up or leave any trace of where he is." Albus said, the usual twinkle in his eye was gone.

"What about the twins?" Mr. Weasley wanted to know.

"I don't know where those two idiots are, probably somewhere with Potter." Albus said.

"We will get our sum of money when the war is over right?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Of course, if we win this war you will. I'm thinking about doubling your sum, since Black is dead now, and made Harry is heir." Albus said.

Relieve could be seen in the Weasley parent's eyes. They would be able to afford a better house, and could spoil their kids with anything (except the twins, they were a disgrace to them).

"Thank you so much, Albus." Mr. Weasley said, shaking his hand.

"Well, we should go and get Ron and Hermione, I believe it is time to formally initiate them into the order." Albus said. With that, they swept down the hall and away from sight. Severus, George, and Fred waited to ten minutes extra just in case. When they felt it was safe they opened the secret passage. What they didn't know was that Dumbledore had silently followed them down and out to the grounds of Hogwarts. They were moving very fast, and Dumbledore had trouble keeping up. Just at they reached the edge of the wards, Dumbledore caught up. Severus and the twins had just formed back and they were stunned that Dumbledore followed them all the way here.

"Why Severus, my dear boy, where did you find Fred and George?" Dumbledore asked, acting like a concerned grandfather. Severus sneered.

"That is none of your business old coot, I will no longer spy for you, get someone else to do your bidding." And with that, Fred and George grabbed onto Severus and he apparated back the Malfoy manor. Albus was enraged that Severus had stopped spying, and the brats managed to escape. He really should stun first, and ask questions second, he thought to himself. He walked back to Hogwarts, and pretended that this never happened.

* * *

*At Malfoy Manor*

Severus and the twins let out a calming breath. They had a lot to tell Tom, and Harry. They would tell Tom first, to see what he thinks they should do. They walked back into the manor, and went to the living room.

"Oh hey guys." Harry said, looking up from the game of chess he was playing with Draco.

"Hi Harry." They all said.

"How was your shop?" Harry wondered. Tom had told him that the twins wanted to check on their shop, and that Severus was to go with them.

"It was good, same as always. Lee Jordan is running it for us right now, while were here." George said.

Severus locked eyes with Tom. Tom knew something was wrong and he used legitimacy on Severus. Severus showed Tom everything that happened at Hogwarts. Tom viewed the memory, heard what everyone said. Tom nodded to Severus and he knew that he was to tell Harry right now.

Severus cleared his throat, Harry looked up.

"Harry, can Tom and I speak to you for a moment?"

Harry was confused, but nodded.

"Harry," Severus started, he needed to watch how Harry would react to everything. "We didn't go to the store, we went to Hogwarts." He paused, Harry sucked in a breath. "The twins needed to get something important, and because they were animagi, they went. I accompanied them to make sure they stayed safe. Everything went smoothly. We however saw Weasley, Granger, Dumbledore and the Weasley parents." Harry's breathing became shallow. Tom came over and pulled Harry into a hug, and rubbed circles on his back. Harry's breathing went back to normal. "Weasley and Granger were talking in front of the twins quarters. They said they would collect a sum of money after the war was won. They also said that the sooner you will Tom, the sooner they can dump you as their friends. They aren't going to start looking for you until after your birthday." Harry expected as much, but it still hurt a little. They had been through so much together and he learned all of it was a lie.

"What about Dumbledore and The Weasley parents?" Harry wanted to know. Severus took a long breath, then started talking.

"Dumbledore was going to give the Weasley's a sum of money also for the contributions for the war effort. He was also considering doubling it. Sirius named you his heir when he died. Now you are the lord of the Potter and Black line." Harry was shaking with anger. He didn't know that he actually had a lot of money. He thought he only had the vault Hagrid had showed him.

Harry abruptly stood up and said, "I want to visit Gringotts."

Tom and Severus didn't look too surprised at they, in fact, they kind of expected him to say that.

"Very well, but you will wear the invisibility cloak when we go through Diagon Alley, and in Gringotts until we are in a room safe from curious eyes." Severus said.

"Okay, who will be going?"

"I will, and I'm assuming you want to go as well, My lord?"

"Of course."

"Okay, I will go down stairs and tell everyone the general details of what happened and where we are going right now." Tom said, and he left.

"One thing though," Tom said, he turned around. "Are you an animagus?"

"Yup," Harry smiled and transformed into a beautiful sleek, black panther. He walked to Tom and licked him on the cheek, he did the same to Severus. Tom left after that. Harry transformed back.

"Harry, I know it might be too soon, but would you be willing to let me adopt you soon? It would deny Dumbledore access to your vaults, and I would be proud to call you my son." Severus smiled at Harry, who had tears threatening to fall. Harry moved closer to Severus and hugged him, whispering yes over and over again.

When Harry and Severus walked down to the living room, it was in chaos. Draco and the twins were arguing. Minerva was being held back by Narcissa, and Tom was holding back Lucius. Nagini was sitting on the floor, cheering everyone on. Harry yelled, "STOP!" the room quieted instantly.

"Draco, stop fighting with Fred and George, I am mad that they lied to me, but I understand why and forgive them. Tom, Narcissa, you can let them go, I don't think they are going to try anything anymore." Harry took a calming breath.

"Tom, let's get going." Harry had the invisibility cloak in his hand. Tom moved over the them. They said their good byes and left. Harry already had the invisibility cloak on when they apparated near Diagon Alley. It wasn't that busy because no one wanted to be out incase Voldemort came with Death eaters to terrorize people. Tom didn't have to glamor himself, no one recognized him in his new body. They walked into the bank.

"Ask to see Griphook." Harry whispered to Severus, and he did just that. A moment later a goblin by the name of Griphook came out and showed them to a private room.

"One question, who are you loyal to?" Tom asked.

"Goblins are neutral in this war. We do our job and don't worry about political battles." Well, that is what it was, it was just a very violent political battle.

Harry removed his cloak, Griphook didn't look surprised.

"Mr. Potter." He said, bowing his head slightly.

"Please, call me Harry." Griphook was stunned, no one ever asked to be called by their first names to a Goblin.

"Very well, Harry. What brings you to Gringotts?"

"I wanted to see a list of all the vaults that belong to the Potters and the Blacks. I also wanted to see a list of any other vaults I may own."

"Of course, I will be right back." Griphook left, and came back a moment later.

"It seems that you have about 100 Vaults total. 30 of the Vaults are the Potters, 40 are Black vaults, and the other 30 vaults were given to you by people who have passed away and they didn't have anyone else to give it too, so they wanted to give it to The-Boy-Who-Lived."

Harry was surprised. He didn't know he had that many vaults. He would give the vaults he didn't technically own to charities and orphanages. And Remus Lupin, he wasn't sure if he would support him or not, but he would give him some money regardless. Harry didn't care anymore if Dumbledore would take money from a vault, it seemed like he was the richest wizard in England right now. Of course, he would still be adopted by Severus, but he didn't think he would miss any of it.

"Thank you Griphook." Harry said eventually. Severus and Tom were just as shocked as Harry. They also thanked Griphook, and they left, Harry under the invisibility cloak again. They left through the Leaky Cauldron, and apparated to Malfoy Manor. It still hasn't hit Harry that he was indeed, rich. He walked into Malfoy Manor and went to the living room. Harry was soon bombarded with questions. It took a moment for Harry to decipher some of the questions.

"To answer some of your questions. No, we didn't get spotted. Yes, it was safe to talk to the goblins. And lets put it this way, If Dumbledore took 60 million galleons out of my vaults I wouldn't notice."

Draco's mouth fell open. He had no idea that Harry was that rich. Lucius was better at schooling his facial features to indifference, but he would look like Draco right now. Once everyone calmed down, they decided to go sit back down and continue reading.

"Who's going to read?" Harry asked with a yawn. He was emotionally drained.

"I will, I haven't read yet." Minerva said. Draco handed her the book and she opened to the dog-ear marked page. She began to read

* * *

I decided to move away from the actual Harry Potter books, and add something that was my own. Hoped you liked this chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 11

"This chapter is called **The Midnight Duel,**" she read.

**Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more that Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.**

"I don't think that now." Harry said. He was curled up next to Tom, while holding Severus' hand.

**Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Playing lessons would be starting on Thursday—and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.**

"**Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."**

"Well, you definitely didn't do that." Draco said.

"Why do they even put Gryffindors and Slytherins in the same classes?" Harry waned to know.

"I'm not entirely sure, I think it was because Dumbledore wanted house unity." Minerva said.

Severus snorted. "It only managed to give the teachers headaches. I had to brew more headache potions than anything else."

**He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.**

"**You don't now that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. **

"Since when has Weasley ever been reasonable?" Draco asked.

"**Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."**

(A/n-skipping to when they're flying lesson starts.)

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.**

"**Well, what are you waiting for?" She barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."**

**Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.**

"**Stick out your right hand over your broom, called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'UP!'"**

"**UP!" Everyone shouted.**

**Harry's broom jumped into his hand at one, but it was one of the few that did.**

The twins cheered, Harry blushed.

**Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

"Interesting theory." Tom mused.

**Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

Draco mock-glared at Harry, who was smiling.

"**Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle—three—two—"**

**But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.**

"**Come back, boy!" She shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a crock shot out of a bottle—twelve feet—twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and—**

**WHAM—a thus and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.**

"Well, that broom's a goner." Fred said.

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.**

"**Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy—it's all right, up you get."**

**She turned to the rest of the class.**

"**None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You eave those brooms where they are you you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."**

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.**

**No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.**

Draco's parents glared at him, but said nothing.

"**Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

**The other Slytherins joined in.**

"**Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil**

"**Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought **_**you'd **_**like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."**

"**Look!" Said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."**

**The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.**

"**Give it here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.**

**Malfoy smiled nastily.**

"**I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find—how about—up a tree?"**

"**Give it **_**here**_**!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off.**

Lucius and Narcissa glared at their son. Draco looked unconfortable.

**He hadn't been lying, he **_**could **_**fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branched of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"  
Harry grabbed his broom.**

"_**No!"**_** Shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move—you'll get us all in trouble."**

**Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him—and in a rush of fierce joy, he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught—this was easy, this was **_**wonderful.**_

Harry had this dreamy look in his eyes. He was remembering all of the ties he flew, the feeling of the wind through his hair, sun on his face. He smiled.

**He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.**

**He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.**

"Of course I was, I didn't expect you to be decent flying." Draco said.

"He's more than-" George started.

"Decent-" Fred continued.

"He's brilliant!" They finished together. Harry was blushing again. He hasn't blushed this much, since his first dance at the Yule Ball.

"I meant at the time." Draco said, rolling his eyes. He eventually smiled though.

"**Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"**

"**Oh, yeah?" Said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.**

**Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.**

"**No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.**

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.**

"**Catch it if you can, then!" He shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.**

**Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down—next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball—wind whistled in his ear, mingled with the screams of people watching—he stretched out his hand—a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.**

The twins cheered again. Tom, Lucius and Narcissa looked impressed. Severus was stunned; he never really realized how close Harry was to hitting the ground. Minerva smiled at Harry proudly. Draco smiled at Harry. Everyone knew Harry was an amazing flyer, but Tom, Lucius and Narcissa had never seen Harry fly in person. Hearing about Harry's first time flying, they wanted to see Harry in action.

"Harry, why don't we go flying sometime?" Draco asked. "I might be able to redeem myself from all of those losses at school." A challenging gleam in his eye.

"You're on." Harry said.

"Great, we can use fly above the small lake we have in our backyard."

"When?"

"How about tomorrow, after lunch?"

"Perfect."

"Everyone is welcome to watch, naturally." Draco said. Everyone would be there; they wanted to see Harry fly.

"**HARRY POTTER!"**

**His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.**

"_**Never—**_**in all my time at Hogwarts—"**

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "—How **_**dare **_**you—might have broken you neck—"**

"**It wasn't his fault, Professor—"**

"**Be quiet, Miss. Patil—"**

**But Malfoy—"**

"**That's **_**enough, **_**Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."**

**Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep.**

**Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him.**

"Sorry about that, Harry, I was still shocked and wasn't thinking clearly." Minerva explained.

"It's okay."

**She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserable behind her. Maybe she was talking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards while was stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.**

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.**

"**Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"**

**Wood? Thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?  
**

Minerva looked up, slightly disturbed. Harry saw the look.

"What? I was living with the Dursleys at the time, I didn't know what to think."

Minerva went back to reading.

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.**

Harry and the twins cheered.

"**Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looked curiously at Harry.**

"**In here."**

**Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.**

"**Out, Peeves!" She barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.**

"**Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood—I've found you a Seeker."**

**Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.**

"**Are you serious, Professor?"**

"**Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"**

**Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.**

"**He caught that thing in his had after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."**

Fred and George laughed at that.

**Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.**

"Well, one of his dreams anyways." George said.

"**Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" He asked excitedly.**

"**Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

"**He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light—speedy—we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor—a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."**

"**I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. **_**Flattened **_**in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"**

Minerva blushed a little. Severus was smiling, the he added. "Well, now I know that it was my _lovely _godson who made the Gryffindor team better." Severus mock-growled at Draco.

"Yes, thank you ever so much Mr. Malfoy." Minerva smiled at him. Draco looked uncomfortable.

"Er—yes…of course."

(A/n-skipping to when Draco challenges Harry to a duel.)

"**Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

"**You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got you little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do anything more than crack their knuckles and scowl.**

"**I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only—no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before I suppose?"**

"**Of course he has," said Rom, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"**

"Why didn't he just keep his big mouth shut?" Harry groaned.

"It is Weasley, what do you expect." Draco said.

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

"**Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

**When Malfoy was gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.**

"**What **_**is **_**a Wizard's duel?" Said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"**

"I knew you didn't know what it was!" Draco said, looking slightly excited. Everyone glared at him. Draco tried to sink into the couch and become invisible.

"**Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pit. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to so any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."**

"I was going to refuse, until he opened his big mouth." Harry said.

"Well, I'll be damned." Draco muttered.

"**And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"**

"**Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.**

"Real tactful." Lucius sneered.

"**Excuse me."**

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

"**Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" Said Ron.**

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.**

"**I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying—"**

"**Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

"—**And you **_**mustn't **_**go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll loose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

"How exactly is that selfish?" Fred asked.

"**And it's really none of your business," said Harry**

"**Good-bye," said Ron.**

(A/n-skipping to when they are leaving the tower.)

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.**

"_**You!" **_** Said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"**

"**I almost told you brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy—he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."  
**

"Was she always such a rule follower?" Narcissa asked.

"Yea, that is, until Ron corrupted her. She follows the rules occasionally though." Harry added.

(a/n-skipping to when they run into Peeves.)

**It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

"**Shut up, Peeves—please—you'll get us thrown out."**

**Peeves cackled.**

"**Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."**

"**Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."**

"**Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."**

"**Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves—this was a big mistake.**

"No, really?" Draco said, with as much sarcasm he could muster.

"He never did think before doing anything, didn't he?" Minerva asked. She knew of some adventures Harry went through, but not in details.

"Nope."

"**STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"**

**Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door—and it was locked. **

"**This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"**

"Shut up, you're not dying." Lucius said.

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeve's shouts.**

"**Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock and whispered "**_**Alohomaora!"**_

**The lock clicked and the door sung open—they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.**

"This wouldn't happen to be the forbidden corridor would it?" Severus asked.

Harry gulped. "Umm…maybe"

Minerva and Severus looked at Harry like he was crazy.

"What? We didn't have time to check what corridor we were on."

They both sighed, nothing they could do about it now.

"**Which way did they go Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick tell me."**

"**Say 'please'"**

"**Don't mess with me, Peeves, now **_**where did they go?"**_

"**I shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.**

"**All right—**_**please."**_

"**NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! HAaaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.**

Everyone chuckled.

"**He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay—get **_**off **_**Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. **_**"What?"**_

**Harry turned around—and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare—this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.**

**They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.**

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes, three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.**

"I hated that stupid dog." Severus mumbled.

"I agree, why Hagrid had one though, I don't understand. I know he likes dangerous animals, but honestly a giant three headed dog!" Minerva ranted.

(A/n- skipping to when they're back in the tower.)

**Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. **

"**You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" She snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"**

"**The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads." **

"Like you should be." Narcissa said.

"**No **_**not **_**the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something.**

**She stood up, glaring at them.**

"**I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed—or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."**

"Being expelled is worse than being killed?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged. "She was and still is a teachers pet."

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

"**No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"**

**But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something… What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide—except perhaps Hogwarts.**

**It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from the vault seven hundred and thirteen was.**

"And you start to piece everything together." Tom said, shaking his head fondly.

"That was the end of the chapter." Minerva said.

"Who's going to read next?"

"I will." George said, reaching for the book.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 12

"The next chapter is called **Halloween**." George read.

Harry, Minerva and Severus groaned.

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. **

Severus, Minerva groaned. They were well aware of the adventures they've had during their time at Hogwarts.

**In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possible need such heavy protection. **

(A/n-skipping to when Harry receives his broom.)

**Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:**

**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.**

**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.**

**Professor McGonagall**

"Thank you for the broom Minerva." Harry said, and smiled, she smiled back.

**Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.**

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Roam moaned enviously. "I've never even **_**touched **_**one."**

**They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.**

"**That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealously and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."  
Ron couldn't resist it.**

Harry groaned. "I had every intention to walk past you, but of course, Ron opens his mouth."

"**It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."**

"**What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back.**

The adults glared at Draco. Draco gulped.

"**I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."**

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.**

"**Not arguing, I hope boys?" He squeaked.**

"**Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.**

"**Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry.**

"**Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"**

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand, sit," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it." He added.**

Everyone laughed at that. Fred high-fived Harry.

**Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.**

"**Well, it's true," Harry, chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team…"**

"**So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" Came an angry voice from just behind them.**

"She really needs to lighten up." Narcissa said.

"I actually agree, she was much to serious on her studies, never left the library until curfew, from what I heard." Minerva added.

**Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.**

"**I thought you weren't speaking to us?" Said Harry.**

"**Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "It's doing us so much good."**

"That was rather rude."

**Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.**

"She did a pretty good impression of you, Draco." Harry said, smiling. Draco mock-glared. Everyone else laughed.

(a/n- skipping to when Harry and Oliver are practicing with the gold balls.)

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch. **

**Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.**

"**That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you could turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he didn't go off chasing dragons."**

The twins laughed. They would have to tell Charlie, well, depending on what side of the war he was on. Charlie wasn't home much, since he worked in Romania.

(A/n-skipping to Charms class)

"**Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" Squeaked Professor Flitwick perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too—never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."**

"That never happened." Minerva said.

**It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and slicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got to impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it—Harry had to put it out with his hat.**

**Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.**

"_**Wingardium Leviosa!" **_**He shouted, waking his long arms like a windmill.**

"**You're saying it wrong," Harry head Hermione snap. "It's Wing-**_**gar**_**-dium Levi-**_**o**_**-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."**

"Does she think she's the teacher?" Draco asked.

"**You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.**

**Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said "**_**Wingardium Leviosa!"**_

**Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.**

"**Oh, well done!" Cried Professor****Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss. Granger's done it!"**

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.**

(A/n-skipping to troll scene)

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the wall as it went.**

"**Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard has he could against the wall.**

**The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.**

"**Oy, pea-brain!" Yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.**

"I hope you're running towards an exit." Tom said.

"Er—not exactly." Harry said. Tom tightened his grip around Harry.

"**Come on, run, **_**run!"**_** Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.**

"Now is not the time to freeze up." Lucius said.

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.**

**Harry then did something that was both very brave, and very stupid. He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.**

"What do you think you're doing?" Tom hissed in Harry's ear.

Everyone else was holding their breath, waiting to see what was happening.

"You know I have a hero complex." Harry said.

Tom growled. "Unfortunately, I'm going to have to fix that."

"Umm…okay."

**The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he jumped—it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.**

"Ewww" Draco said, scrunching up his nose. Everyone had a look of disgust on their faces.

**Howling in pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry hanging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.**

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand—not knowing what he was going to do he head himself cry the first spell that come into his head: **_**Wingardium Leviosa!"**_

**The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high, up into the air, turned slowly over—and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the stop and then fell on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.**

Everyone cheered. Not because Ron was capable of doing something; but because Harry wasn't injured.

**Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what it had done.**

**It was Hermione who spoke first.**

"Oh, now you decide to speak." Severus said.

"**Is it—dead?"**

"**I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."**

**He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.**

Narcissa and Minerva looked slightly green.

"**Urgh—toll boogers."**

**He wiped it on the troll's trousers.**

**A sudden slamming and lout footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashed and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

"Useless." Tom said, shaking his head.

**Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.**

Minerva looked at him like he was crazy. Harry gave a sheepish smile, and blushed, for the millionth time.

"**What on earth were you thinking of?" Said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"**

**Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down.**

"I thought you went after the troll, because you wanted to be like your father and his friends. Sorry." Severus explained.

"It's okay." Harry smiled.

**Then a small voice came out of the shadows.**

"**Please, Professor McGonagall—they were looking for me."**

"**Miss. Granger!"**

**Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**

"**I went looking for the troll because I—I thought I could deal with it on my own—you know, because I've read about them."**

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?**

"She started to do worse things then lie to a teacher after that." Harry said.

"**If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."**

**Harry and Ron tried to look at though this story wasn't new to them.**

"It didn't work." Severus said.

"**Well—in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss. Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"**

**Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.**

Severus got a glint in his eye. He would have to try that some time.

"**Miss. Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses."**

**Hermione left.**

**Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.**

"**Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."**

**They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.**

"The smell was horrible." Minerva said. Remembering that day clearly.

"**We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.**

"**Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's" **

"**Good of her to get us out of trouble like that." Ron admitted.**

"**Mind you, we **_**did**_** save her."**

"**She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.**

**They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**

"**Pig snout," they said and entered.**

**The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.**

**But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.**

"That is an…interesting way to become friends." Narcissa admitted. Harry snorted. "You're telling me."

"That's the end of the chapter." George said.

"Who's reading next?"

"I will." Lucius said.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 13

"The next chapter is called **Quidditch.**" Lucius read.

Harry, the twins and Draco cheered. Minerva and Lucius had a fond smile on their face. They had been chasers when they went to Hogwarts.

(A/n- Going right to when Severus shows up.)

"**What's that you've got there, Potter?"**

**It was **_**Quidditch Through the Ages.**_** Harry showed him.**

"**Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."**

"Really, Severus? That's the stupidest rule I've ever heard." Lucius said, everyone else agreeing.

"**He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"**

"**Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.**

Tom decided that they needed to capture Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the Dursleys. He just needed to think of how. He would talk to Lucius and Severus during dinner.

While Tom was thinking they continued to read the book.

…**He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.**

"Did you really not hear me?" Harry wanted to know.

"No."

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? IT was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside—and a horrible scene met his eyes. **

**Snape and Filch were inside alone. Snape was holding his robes about his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.**

"**Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"**

**Harry tired to shut the door quietly, but—**

"**POTTER!"**

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.**

"**I just wondered if I could have my book back." **

"Really? You ask to the book?" Draco said, shaking his head.

"**GET OUT! **_**OUT!"**_

**Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs.**

"**Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?"**

**In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.**

"**You know what this means?" He finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at HALLOWEEN! That's where he was going when we saw him—he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick **_**he **_**let that troll in, to make a diversion."**

"I'm glad no one took me up on that bet." Harry said.

"You do know it wasn't me, right?"

"Well, I do now. Oh, and sorry in advance for what happens in this chapter." Harry said.

"What happened?" Severus didn't know what he was talking about.

"You'll remember eventually." Harry smirked. Severus had a feeling it was bad.

(A/s- Skipping to the quidditch match.)

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

"**You've got to eat some breakfast."**

"**I don't want anything."**

"**Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

"**I'm not hungry."**

**Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time, he'd be walking on the field.**

"**Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."**

"Real encouraging." Draco said.

"**Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.**

**By eleven o'clock the while school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

(A/n-skipping to Oliver's speech)

**Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green)**

Severus snorted. "Naturally."

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.**

Harry and the twins grounded. They remembered his speeches clearly.

"**Okay, men," he said**

"**And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

"**And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

"**The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

"**The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

"**We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year.**

The twins high-fived.

"**Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."**

**He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

"**Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."**

**Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.**

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.**

"**Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth year. **

"I wouldn't be surprised. His tactics are to win by any means necessary." Severus said, shaking his head.

**Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him.**

"I think he does." Lucius said. He, of course, knew all of the pureblooded families, se he would naturally know something like that.

**Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing **_**Potter for President**_** over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.**

"**Mount your brooms, please."**

**Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a lout blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rise up, high, high into the air. They were off.**

"**And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—that an excellent Chaser that girl is and rather attractive, too—"**

"**JORDAN!"**

"**Sorry, Professor."**

"He could never just comment on the games." Minerva said shaking her head, but not in a negative way.

Fred and George laughed at their friends antics.

(A/n- skipping to when Hermione leaves to the teacher stands.)

**Hermione had fought her way across the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front.**

Harry was smirking, he knew what happened.

"Again, I'm sorry for what is about to happen."

Severus seemed to put the pieces together, but didn't quite solve the puzzle.

**Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem on Snape's robes.**

"GRANGER SET ME ON FIRE?" He screamed. He didn't believe that she would do that.

"OUR HEAD GIRL SET FIRE TO A TEACHER?" Minerva screamed. They had screamed at the same time, their screams heard all over Malfoy Manor.

"Uh huh." Harry said, smiling a little.

While they were reading, Tom had unconsciously grabbed onto Harry tighter during this chapter.

"_Ugh, why are bat man and lady grey screaming? They woke me up from my nap." _If Nagini could pout, she would be right now.

"_They found out that the Head Girl at my school set Severus on fire when I was eleven." _Harry said, he was sill amused with Nagini's nicknames for people.

"_Who is the Head Girl?"_

"_Hermione Granger."_

"_Oh, beaver teeth, that's…interesting." _Then Nagini relaxed again, she climbed up and was perched across Harry and Tom's shoulders.

Tom made a choking sound, trying to cover his laugh at Nagini's name for Granger.

"Can we get back to reading?" Draco asked, he was highly amused though. Who knew Granger had it in her to set a teacher on fire, especially if it was the feared potions master.

**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping he fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row—Snape would never know what happened.**

"Well now I do, and I didn't yelp."

"Of course not." Lucius said, smirking at his friend.

(A/n-skipping to when Hagrid tells them about Fluffy.)

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.**

"**I found out something about him, he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."**

**Hagrid dropped the teapot.**

"**How di you know about Fluffy?" he said.**

"_**Fluffy?"**_

"I still don't believe he called that thing Fluffy." Harry said, shaking his head.

"I still don't believe I was actually bitten by that beast." Severus said, his classic sneer in place.

"**Yeah—he's mine—bought him off a Greek chappie I met in a pub las' year—I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the—"**

"**Yes?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret that is."**

"Is that how you figured it out so fast? Because he couldn't keep his mouth shut?" Tom asked.

"Yup."

"So that's how you knew about the stone." Minerva said, half to Harry and half to herself.

"**But Snape's trying to **_**steal **_**it."**

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."**

Harry and Severus gave a sideways glance at Tom. Tom didn't notice however.

"**So why did her just try and kill Harry?" Cried Hermione.**

**The afternoon's event certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.**

"What did she think before?" Severus said.

"Well, you're a teacher, she thought all teachers were good and couldn't harm a student."

Severus, Lucius and Tom snorted.

"**I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

"Does she read about everything?" Draco asked.

"Yes." Harry and the twins replied together. The adults looked amused by that.

"**I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" Said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh—yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh it's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guarding, that's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Famel—"**

"**Aha!" Said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicholas Famel involved is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself.**

"Well, now I know why you discovered the stone so quickly." Tom muttered.

"If only I remembered that stupid card. We would have had the stone by Christmas if I remembered." Harry grumbled to himself.

"That's the end of the chapter." Lucius said.

"How many more chapters are left?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius flipped through to the table of contents of the book.

"Six."

"Okay, two more chapters until dinner. Then we will read three more before bed. We will finish the book tomorrow morning. I think we will need to be fully awake for the end of the book." Tom said. He added the last part mostly for Harry's benefit. And for his, partly, though he would never admit it. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"Who's going to read?"

Harry had a feeling what chapter is and suggested that Fred read it.

Harry snuggled closer to Tom, and grabbed Severus' hand again.

Fred opened the book again.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 14

"This chapter is called **The Mirror of Erised." **Fred read. Tom flinched a little, and Harry grabbed his hand in a comforting way.

**Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze over and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.**

Harry high-fived the twins.

"So, that's what was happening." Tom muttered to himself. Thankfully no one heard him.

**The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.**

(A/n-skipping to Christmas eve.)

**On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and fun, but not expecting any presents at all.**

"We're going to have to fix that." Narcissa whispered to Lucius. She intended to give Harry a real Birthday, and Christmas. Harry had been spending time with the Weasleys at the Burrow for Christmas and everything. But in spite of recent events, Narcissa planned to made new memories for Harry.

**When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.**

"**Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.**

"**You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"**

"**What did you expect, turnips!" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.**

"I never realized until now that Ron really does have the emotional range of a teaspoon." Harry said, using that Hermione had said in their fifth year before that fateful day. The twins and Draco started laughing. Tom, Nagini and Severus were chuckling. The others looked mildly amused.

**Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was **_**to Harry, from Hagrid**_**. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it—it sounded a bit like an owl.**

**A second, very small parcel contained a note.**

_**We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. **_**Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.**

"Well, that was…thoughtful." Minerva said.  
Everyone else had their eyebrows raised. They never would of thought that the Dursleys would even think of giving Harry a Christmas present, or a present in general.

"**That's friendly," said Harry**

**Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

"_**Weird!" **_**He said, "What a shape! This is **_**money?"**_

"**You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was.**

"**Hagrid and my aunt and uncle—so who sent these?"**

"**I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mum. I told her you didn't expect any presents and—oh, no," he groaned, "She's made you a Weasley sweater."**

**Harry had torn open the parcel to find a think, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.**

"That was nice."

"I always liked those sweaters." Harry said.

"That's because you got normal colored sweaters." Fred said.

(A/n-skipping to when Harry opens the invisibility cloak)

**Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.**

"**It's an Invisibility Cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is—try it on."**

**Harry threw the Cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.**

"**It i**_**s**_**! Look down.**

**Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible.**

"Well, now I know how you got around the school." Minerva said. She knew of course, most of Harry's adventures happened at night but she couldn't figure out how he never got in trouble.

**He pulled the Cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.**

"**There's a not!" Said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"**

**Harry pulled off the Cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were following words:**

**Your Father left this in my possession before he died. **

**It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.**

**A Very Merry Christmas**

**There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the Cloak.**

(A/n-skipping to when Harry hides from Filch)

**He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.**

"**You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library—Restricted Section."**

**Harry felt his blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied.**

"Why am I not surprised." Narcissa said.

"**The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."**

**Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him—the Cloak didn't stop him from being solid.**

**He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. **

"You are too skinny, you should eat more." Narcissa said, he was beginning to like Harry. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

**They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away.**

"How come you didn't look in that room?" Harry asked.

"We didn't think anyone would down that corridor." Severus said.

**That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.**

**It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket—but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.**

Severus squeezed Harry's hand in comfort; he knew what was in that room. He had helped Dumbledore move it into that room.

**It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: **_**Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru yot on wohsi. **_

"What does that mean?" Draco asked.

"I show not your face but your hearts desire." Harry said. He was trembling slightly. Tom held Harry tighter, Nagini had moved down to the floor. Harry had stopped trembling slightly.

**His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.**

**He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed—for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crown of people standing right behind him. **

Harry had started to shake, Tom never left his side and Severus' hand never left Harry's.

**But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror. **

**There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder—but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?**

No one laughed at that, they all had a feeling that they knew what he saw.

**He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air—she and the others existed only in the mirror.**

**She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes—**_**her eyes are just like mine, **_**Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green—exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, think, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at that back, just as Harry's did.**

**Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.**

"**Mum?" He whispered. "Dad?"**

Harry had tears rolling down his face. Tom gently brushed them away; Severus had a distant look in his eyes. Everyone (besides Fred, who was reading at the moment) looked at Harry sadly, but they were glad that Tom was there to support him.

**They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked at though he had Harry's knobble knees—Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.**

Here, Narcissa sniffled softly. Minerva had tears threating to fall as well. The other men in the room didn't cry, but they looked at Harry sympathetically. Harry had buried his face in Tom's robes; Harry's shoulders were shaking a little. Tom was upset. He had caused this boy so much pain, he would have to make it up to him somehow, and he knew what he was going to do.

**The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, he hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He was a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness. **

**How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.**

By that time, Narcissa had gotten up and gave Harry a hug. The twins came over next and also gave him a hug. And told him that he could always talk to them if he needed to. They were brothers in all but blood.

(A/n-skipping to when Harry asks Dumbledore about what he sees in the mirror)

**Harry stood up.**

"**Sir-Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"**

"**Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."**

"**What do you see when you look in the mirror?"  
"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."**

**Harry stared.**

"**One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People insist on giving me books."**

**It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers of his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.**

"You were so polite back then." Severus said. Harry mock-glared.

"That's the end of the chapter." Fred said.

Harry had calmed down and stopped hiding in Tom's robes.

Severus had decided that after this book is finished, he would go to the ministry with Harry and legally adopt him. He would ask Harry during dinner.

"Who's going to read next?"

"I will." Harry said, Fred tossed him the book.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own anything written in bold or any of the Characters.

**Bold: From the original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parstletongue_

Chapter 15

"Last one before dinner." Tom reminded everyone.

"This chapter is called **Nicolas Flamel."** Harry read.

"Now you figure everything out." Tom said.

Harry ignored him, and started to read.

**Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the Invisibility Cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk. Harry wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror as easily, he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a voice cackled with laughter.**

Tom paled. Harry smiled at Tom, and reassured him he had forgiven him. Tom smiled back, but he was still pale.

(A/n-going to quidditch practice and game.)

**Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow wouldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Harry was on Wood's side. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years. **

The twins looked like Harry was crazy.

**Quite apart from wanting to win, Harry found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training.**

**Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.**

"**Will you stop messing around!" He yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"**

Lucius looked slightly startled. Severus never picked up a broom again since his 7th year at Hogwarts.

"What?" Severus said, he saw Lucius' look. "I was making sure that nothing like the last match happened again." He said referring to Harry's mishap.

**George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.**

"_**Snape's **_**refereeing?" He spluttered through a mouthful of mud. **

"**When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."**

**The rest of the team landed next to George to complain too.**

"**It's not **_**my **_**fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."**

**Which was all very well, thought Harry, but he had another reason for not wanting Snape near him while he was playing Quidditch…**

Harry looked sheepishly at Severus.

**The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.**

"**Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen—" he caught sight of Harry's face.**

"**What's the matter with you? You look terrible."**

**Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.**

Severus mock-glared at Harry.

"**Don't play," said Hermione at once.**

"**Say you're ill," said Ron.**

"**Pretend to break you leg," Hermione suggested.**

"_**Really**_** break you leg," said Ron**

"That's real nice." Draco sneered.

"_Who is this Ron person?" _Nagini asked.

"_He's the twins brother, though no one here likes him." _Harry said.

"_Does he have red hair to?"_

"_Yes."_

"_I'll call him…dinner." _Nagini hissed. Harry and Tom had to hide their amusement at the name.

"_You wouldn't want to eat him. He doesn't smell good." _Harry said.

"_Oh, well then I'll call him carrot 3, I guess."_ Nagini again would of pouted, but she can't.

"**I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."**

(A/n-skipping to the match)

**Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry aside.**

"**Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."**

"**The whole school's out there!" Said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even—blimey-Dumbledore's come to watch!"**

**Harry's heart did a somersault.**

"_**Dumbledore**_**?" He said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.**

**Harry could have laughed out loud with relief. He was safe. There was simply no way that Snape would dare try to hurt him if Dumbledore was watching.**

**Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Ron noticed, too.**

"I was angry because Dumbledore made me referee that game. I don't hate flying, but I'd rather have my feet on the ground." Severus explained. His life-risking days were over once he became a spy, ironically enough.

"**I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione.**

"**Look—they're off. Ouch!"**

**Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.**

"**Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."**

**Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.**

"Why were you in the Gryffindor section?" Harry asked.

"Umm…I…decided to bother Weasley." Draco mumbled at last.

"**Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?" **

**Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him.**

The twins high-fived. Harry was laughing a little. Severus mock-glared at them all.

**Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking to the Snitch.**

"**You know how I think that choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape award Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all.**

The Gryffindors and Narcissa glared a little.

"**It's people that feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money—you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."  
**

Narcissa, forgetting her promise to Harry whacked Draco on the head, hard. Harry didn't say anything; he did kind of deserve that one.

**Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.**

"**I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.**

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to rake his eyes from the game said, "You tell him, Neville."**

"Real supportive." Tom muttered.

"**Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."**

**Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry.**

"**I'm warning you, Malfoy—one more word—"**

"**Ron!" Said Hermione suddenly, "Harry-!**

"**What? Where?"**

**Harry had suddenly going into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet."**

"**You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Said Malfoy.**

**Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.**

"**Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape—she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.**

Lucius and Narcissa turned to Draco. They had taught him not the fight, especially if it was the muggle way, rolling on the ground, punching people. Draco was bright red, and wished he could disappear.

"I wish I could have seen that." Harry said, breaking the tension.

**Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches—the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.**

**The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.**

"**Ron! Ron! Where are you? The games over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" Shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.**

**Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it—the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped—then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.**

"**Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror...been keeping busy...excellent…"**

**Snape spat bitterly on the ground. **

"Poor ground." George said. Draco started to laugh.

"Well, it's not every day you see a Gryffindor come racing at you." Severus said, but not bitterly.

"True, only a brave, or stupid Gryffindor would dare do that." Draco said.

"I prefer the first adjective, thank you very much." Harry said.

(A/n-skipping to when Harry follows Severus)

**A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner—what was going on?**

(A/n-going to when Severus finds Quirrell)

**Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Harry strained to hear what they were saying.**

"…**D-don't know why you wanted t-t-to met here of all p-places, Severus…"**

"**Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."**

**Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.**

"**Have you found out how to get past that beat of Hagrid's yet?"**

Severus was pale while Harry was reading. He didn't know he had been listening.

"**B-b-but Severus, I—"**

"**You don't want me as your enemy Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.**

"**I-I don't know what you—"**

"**You know perfectly well what I mean."**

**An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. He steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "—your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."**

"**B-but I d-don't—"**

"**Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lite."**

**He threw the cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could still see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.**

(A/n- skipping to the end of the chapter.)

"**So you mean the Stone's only safe as long at Quirrell stand up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.**

"**It'll be gone by next Tuesday." Said Ron.**

"Well, he knew it wouldn't take long for it to almost get stolen." Harry said.

"Well, that's the end of the chapter." Harry added.

"Then I believe it's time for dinner." Lucius said while standing up.

* * *

A/N- I will skip some paragraphs, if I think they aren't that important, or if there's too much of the real story without a comment. I will also make an authors note with I am skipping parts of the real book.


	16. Chapter 16

**Bold-The original books by J.K Rowling**

_Italics- Parseltongue_**  
**

Chapter 16

They all had moved into the dinning room where the house-elves had dinner ready for them.

Harry was again sitting in-between Tom and Severus. Lucius at the head of the table, Narcissa on the right. Draco was next to his mother. The twins next to Draco. Minerva hesitantly sat down next to Tom. It would take her awhile to get used to his new Dark Lord.

"Harry?" Severus said quietly.

"Hm?"

"After this book is done, would you like to go the ministry with me so I can legally adopt you?"

Harry stopped cutting his food. He looked slowly up at Severus.

"YES!" He screamed, startling everyone else. Harry blushed and muttered a sorry.

Severus and Harry were smiling at each other.

"Well, would you like to share what that was about?" Tom asked, he had heard the question, but decided to play along.

"Well, after we finish reading this book, Severus is going to legally adopt me." Harry said, beaming. Minerva's eyes grew. She had no idea that Severus would actually want Harry as his son.

Everyone said their congratulations. Lucius said that he would be able to do this secretly so they wouldn't be in danger of Dumbledore. Severus was smiling, actually smiling; he didn't seem to care, he was jut happy that Harry accepted him the way he was.

Dinner went by fairly quietly after that. Once they were done, they went back to the reading room. They sat in the same seats again. It took Draco awhile though to decide, he wanted to be safe from his parent's anger. He eventually sat down again, but not in-between them this time. Harry decided to lie down on the couch; his head in Tom's lap, feet on Severus' lap. Harry was feeling more comfortable with Tom; the more he read the book. Harry had in fact, started to generate feelings for Tom, but he wasn't exactly sure yet. He would have to find out eventually though.

"Who's going to read?"

"I will." Draco said.

He took the book and read.

"This chapter is called **Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback." **Draco read. Then he added, "I told you I wasn't lying." To Severus. Severus hadn't believed that the former Golden Trio would actually smuggle a dragon into the school grounds.

"Hm, well, apologies, Draco."

Draco sighed, he knew he wouldn't get anything better than that, and he started to read.

**Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought. In the weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd crack yet.**

"Ah, that would be my fault." Tom said, smirking a little.

**Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe.**

Severus mock-glared at Harry.

**Whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter. **

**Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up schedules and color-coding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.**

"**Hermione, the exams are ages away."**

"**Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicholas Flamel."**

"You have got to be kidding me." Draco said, no one he knew would start studying ten weeks in advance.

"Sadly no, every year, she added a week, because the finals were starting to get more important." Harry said.

(A/n-skipping to when they go to Hagrid's hut.)

**When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's but, an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" Before he let them in, and then shut the door quickly behind them.**

**It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate.**

"Why on earth would Hagrid do that?" Minerva asked.

**Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.**

"**So—yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. There was no point beating about the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy."**

**Hagrid frowned at him.**

"You know, for a part Slytherin, that was a very Gryffindorish move." Draco said, his father nodding his head in agreement.

"**O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a god reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts—I s'ppose yeh've worked that our an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."**

"**Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you **_**do **_**know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice. Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had **_**done **_**the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."**

**Hagrid's chest swelled at those last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione.**

"I must admit, that was a Slytherin move." Narcissa said.

The twins were still sitting on the floor, but they were unusually quiet because Nagini was coiled up by their feet. They were nervous around the giant snake, Tom's familiar or not.

"**Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that…let's see…he borrowed fluffy from me…then some o' the teachers did enchantments…Professor Sprout—Professor Flitwick—Professor McGonagall—" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell—an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yea, Professor Snape."**

"_**Snape?"**_

"**Yeah—yer still not on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about to steal it."**

"I know what you two did," Harry said, referring to Severus and Minerva. "I know what Sprout and Flitwick did, and Dumbledore. What did Quirrell do though?" Harry didn't remember anything that had to do with Quirrell while going to the Stone.

"I believe he did the enchantments on the door, or something of that nature." Minerva said, also trying to thing what he had done, or not done.

**Harry knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as he was. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything—except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.**

"**You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"**

"**Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.**

"**Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."**

"**Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid. Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.**

"**Hagrid—what's **_**that?"**_

**But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge black egg.**

"**Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling with his beard, "That's—er…"**

"**Where did you get it Hagrid?" Said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."**

"**Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. O was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get id of it, ter to honest."**

"_I swear, if that egg actually hatches, I will be pissed." _Tom hissed in parsletongue. The only reason he had got rid of the egg was because he thought that it wouldn't hatch any more.

"_So, that was you, that gave Hagrid the egg?"_ Harry hissed back.

"_Umm…uh…yes…"_ Tom said, and waited for some kind of explosion from Harry. None came though; Harry was actually smiling.

"_Why are you smiling?"_

"_Because, you gave me an opportunity to see a real dragon for the first time. Even though I did get into a lot of trouble, it was worth it."_

"_Okay…well, you're welcome…I guess." _Tom felt slightly awkward right now.

"_You are a strange human, lightning bolt." _Nagini hissed her opinion.

"_Well, normal is boring. Look at everyone here, do they look at all normal?"_

"_Not at all."_

"_There you go, we're all strange in our own ways." _

"_Hmm... Well, you are still strange." _Harry rolled his eyes, and childishly stuck his tongue out at the great serpent.

"**But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" Said Hermione.**

"**Well, I've bin doin' some readdin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library—**_**Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit—**_**it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fir, 'cause their mothers breathe on em', see an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here—how ter recognize diff'rent eggs—what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."**

"I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A DRAGON!" Draco suddenly yelled, earning a light punch on his arm from his father.

"Yes, thank you for damaging my hearing Draco." Severus said. "And I'm sorry for not believing you." Draco nodded in approval.

**He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.**

"**Hagrid, you live in a **_**wooden house**_**," she said.**

**But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.**

**So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.**

"**Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Harry and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts.**

Harry snorted. "That's the understatement of the year, she was driving us insane."

**Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: **_**It's hatching.**_

**Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it.**

"Lighten up a bit." Narcissa said.

"**Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"**

"**We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing—"**

"**Shut up!" Harry whispered.**

**Malfoy was only feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Harry didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all.**

"How many times have I told you, not to eavesdrop on people? It's rude." Narcissa said. She didn't like what her son had been up to so far, when he was away from his parents.

**Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other two during the morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.**

"**It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.**

**The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clinking noise was coming from it.**

**They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.**

Tom was silently seething. A dragon would have been perfect for the dark side. Yes, Tom changed his tactics, but still, a dragon would be cool just to have.

**All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body; it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.**

"You really know how to describe something." Fred said. He's never heard a description of a dragon like that, even if they were brothers to a dragon handler.

"Thanks."

**It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.**

"**Isn't he **_**beautiful**_**?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.**

"**Bless him, look he knows his mummy!" Said Hagrid.**

"**Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks row exactly?"**

**Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face—he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.**

"**What's the matter?"**

"**Someone was lookin' thought the gap in the curtains—it's a kid—he's runnin' back up ter the school."**

**Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.**

**Malfoy had seen the dragon.**

Narcissa sent a disappointed look at Draco.

**Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.**

"**Just let him go," Harry suggested. "Set him free."**

"**I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."**

**They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.**

"**I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"**

"Did he loose his mind?" Severus wanted to know.

"Umm…maybe just a bit." Harry said. He thought Hagrid was off his rocker then.

"**He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.**

"**Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."**

**Hagrid bit his lip.**

"**I—I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."**

**Harry suddenly turned to Ron.**

"**Charlie," he said.**

"**You're loosing it too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"**

"**No—Charlie—your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"**

"Well, at least someone was thinking." Severus muttered.

"**Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"**

**And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.**

**The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.**

"**It bit me!" He said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."**

"One, is he straight in the head? Two, does Weasley always complain that much?" Narcissa asked.

"I don't think so. And yes he does." Harry said.

"I have heard Weasley many times in my class, always mumbling about how unfair I am." Severus said.

**There was a tap on the dark window.**

"**It's Hedwig!" Said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"**

**The three of them put their heads together and read the note.**

**Dear Ron,**

**How are you? Thanks for the letter—I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.**

**Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.**

**Send me an answer as soon as possible.**

**Love, Charlie**

**They looked at one another.**

"**We've got the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult—I think the cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."**

**It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert—and Malfoy.**

"This is going to end badly isn't it?" Tom asked.

"Oh, yes." Harry said. Tom pulled Harry against his side, Harry leaned his head on Tom's shoulder.

(A/n-skipping to when Hagrid says good-bye to Norbert)

**Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.**

"**He's got lots o' rats an' brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."**

**From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as thought the teddy was having his head torn off.**

"**Bye-bye Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the Invisibility Cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mummy will never forget you!"**

"Well, that could have been worse." Tom said.

"Oh, trust me, it gets much worse."

**How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another—even one of Harry's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.**

"**Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.**

**Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.**

**Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by the ear.**

Draco blushed a little, and for the 100th time so far, tired to make himself invisible.

"**Detention!" She shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how **_**dare**_** you—"**

"**You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming—he's got a dragon!"**

"**What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on—I shall see Professor Snape about you Malfoy!"**

"Are you a Slytherin or what?" Lucius said. He really thought his son would have tact than that.

"Why'd you take twenty off Slytherin, but 50 each from us?" Harry wanted to know.

"Well, you're in my house and I punish how I see fit. Although, that didn't seem to be the case with Severus, because only the twenty points I took off were shown." Minerva said. Severus didn't look at her.

**The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed to be the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the Cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.**

"**Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"**

"**Don't," Harry advised her.**

**Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.**

**Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they would suspend Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.**

**As last, Norbert as going…going…**_**gone.**_

**They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon—Malfoy in detention—what could spoil their happiness?**

"Umm…Harry, did you get your cloak?" Tom asked.

"About that…" Harry never finished his sentence.

**The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.**

"**Well, well, well," he whispered, "we **_**are **_**in trouble."**

**They'd left the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower.**

"Well, that answer's my question." Tom said. Harry was blushing slightly.

"That's the end of the chapter." Draco said.

"I'll read next." Narcissa said, reaching for the book.

Harry knew what was coming and he slightly hid in Tom's shoulder. Draco did too, he got up and hesitantly gave Harry a hug. It was slightly awkward, but Harry was happy from the gesture. Draco's parents were proud of their son. That won't last long though.


	17. Chapter 17

**Bold: Original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parsletongue _

Chapter 17

"This chapter is called **The Forbidden Forest."** Narcissa read.

Tom now understood why Draco hugged Harry. He whispered soothing words to Harry, and pulled him closer to him. Harry had grabbed Severus' hand also. Narcissa started to read.

**Things couldn't have been worse.**

**Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Hermione was trembling. Excuses, alibis, and wild cover-up storied chased each other around in Harry's brain, each more feeble than the last. He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the Cloak? There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the Invisibility Cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags already.**

**Had Harry thought that things couldn't be worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.**

"What was Longbottom doing there?" Tom asked.

"I don't really remember."

"**Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a dag—"**

**Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall has seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the three of them.**

"**I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o' clock in the morning. **_**Explain yourselves.**_**"**

**It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. He was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue.**

"**I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard it, too?"**

"I should apologize to him for that." Harry said. Some people gave him crazy looks. "What? I'm a Gryffindor, were forgiving and have giant hearts and consciences."

**Harry caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true, because Neville was looking stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville—Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.**

"**I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before!"**

"Yes you have, do I have to remind you of a certain group called the Maurders?" Severus said. He may have been in their year, but he heard about the times they had sneaked out**.**

"Yes, well, I didn't want Harry to know that his father and godfather constantly were out of bed at night." Harry just smiled.

"**You, Miss. Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this."**

Minerva flinched slightly. "Sorry Harry."

"Don't worry about it."

"**All three of you will receive detentions—yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, **_**nothing **_**gives you the right to walk around the school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous—and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."**

"It was dangerous every year." Harry said.

"_**Fifty?"**_** Harry gasped—they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match.**

"**Fifty points **_**each,**_**" said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose.**

"**Professor—please—"**

"**You **_**can't**_**—"**

"**Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."**

"That was a little harsh." Tom muttered.

"_We broke the rules, although now that I know how many points Draco lost, I guess it was a little." _Harry hissed. He didn't want anyone else to feel bad for something they had done in the past.

(A/n- skipping to when they get the note from McGonagall.)

**The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:**

**Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. **

**Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.**

**Professor M. McGonagall**

**Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.**

**At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there, and so was Malfoy. Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten detention, too.**

"Why, Harry, I'm hurt." Draco said, putting his hand over his heart. Lucius lightly slapped his son over the head for his antics. Harry just smiled and said.

"I'm so sorry Draco." He bowed after. Tom just shook his head.

"**Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside.**

"**I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" He said, leering at them. "Oh yes…hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me…It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out…hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep em' well oiled in case they're ever needed…Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."  
**

"He wasn't serious was he?" Narcissa asked, worried.

"I…don't think so." Minerva said, flustered that he had said that to a group of first years.

"Minerva, this is Filch he enjoys to scare children." Severus said.

"So, he's a little like you." Harry said cheekily. Everyone laughed. Severus glared, but said nothing.

**They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.**

**The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.**

"**Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."**

**Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy—it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."**

"YOU WENT INTO THE FORBIDDEN FOREST?" Minerva shouted.

"Yea, didn't you know?" Harry wondered.

"No, once we assign a detention with another teacher we don't question what they do as punishment…until now." Severus answered.

**At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.**

"**The forest?" He repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night—there's all sorts of things in there—werewolves, I heard."**

**Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise.**

"I didn't even think of werewolves until you brought it up." Harry accused.

"**That's your problem, isn't it?" Said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"**

**Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.**

"**Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"**

"**I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished after all."**

"They're not prisoners." Narcissa complained.

"**That's why yer late, is it?" Said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."**

"**I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "For what's left of them,  
he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.**

"I never knew Filch was that…" Minerva started, she couldn't find the word to describe it.

"Crazy." Harry put in.

"Creepy." Draco added.

"Mental." Fred said.

"Nut case." George suggested.

"Sadistic?" Severus put in for good measure.

"Umm, yes."

**Malfoy now turned to Hagrid.**

"**I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.**

"**Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."**

"**But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd—"**

"He would tell you to stop whining like a Hufflepuff." Lucius said a little coldly.

Draco looked at the floor, his cheeks tinged slightly.

"—**Tell yer that's now it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll so summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"**

**Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze.**

"**Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."**

**He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.**

"**Look there," said Hagrid, "See that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."**

Tom flinched slightly. Harry squeezed his hand comfortingly; Tom squeezed back, a little more relaxed than before.

"**And what if whatever hurt the unicorn first?" Said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.**

"**There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've ben staggerin' around since last night as least."**

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Narcissa murmured to herself before she continued to read.

"**I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.**

"**All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us find the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now—that's it—an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh-so, be careful—let's go."**

"Why on earth would he put you with Neville?" Minerva asked.

"Probably because he wanted to be with us, since we were doing something for him and he felt guilty. Either that, or he didn't want to deal with Neville or Draco." Harry said.

"Probably the second one."

**The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right.**

**They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.**

**Harry saw Hagrid look very worried.**

"_**Could **_**a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked.**

"**Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before."**

"See, thanks to your brilliant question my mind was stuck on werewolves the entire time." Harry told Draco.

"Sorry about that."

**They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.**

"**You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter—GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"**

**Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.**

Tom flinched again.

"**I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."**

"**A werewolf?" Harry suggested.**

"**That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful now."**

**They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound.**

**Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.**

"**Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself—I'm armed!"**

**And into the clearing came—was it a man or a horse? To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Hermione's jaw dropped.**

"**Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"**

"Only Hagrid would talk to a centaur while leading a detention." Severus said.

**He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.**

"**Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?" **

"**Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow.**

"**There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."**

"**We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.**

"**Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"**

"**Erm—"**

"**A bit," said Hermione timidly.**

"Really, a bit?" Tom asked amused.

"Well it's not everyday where you meet a centaur." Harry defended himself. Then he added, "Mars is bright tonight." Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"Harry, why'd you say that?" Draco asked.

"You'll see." He said.

"**A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. "Mars if bright tonight."**

Everyone made an "Ah." Sound.

(A/n-skipping to when the red sparks go up)

**They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking nervously over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched. He was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.**

"**Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"**

**You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"**

"Why would he just leave you there in the middle of the forest?" Narcissa asked. She was growing very fond of Harry.

**They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.**

"**You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" Whispered Hermione.**

"**I don't care if Malfoy had, but if something's got Neville…it's our fault he's here in the first place."**

"Thanks Harry." Draco said, mock-glaring.

"No problem."

**The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. What was going on? Where are the others?**

**At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. Neville panicked and sent up the sparks.**

Lucius, Severus and Narcissa were silently fuming at Draco.

Draco blushed a little. Harry noticed and said, "Lay off Draco you guys, he was eleven and a spoiled brat. He isn't anymore, don't punish Draco for what he did in the past."

They all nodded and stopped fuming.

Draco mouthed a "Thank you" to Harry

"**We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups—Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot."**

"I can't believe he called you an idiot." Minerva said.

"Well, Severus calls us dunderheads." Harry told her. Severus mock-glared.

"We all know Severus isn't the friendliest of people, but Hagrid is usually friendly."

Severus this time glared at Minerva.

""**I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "But he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."**

**So Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. **

Harry started to shake a little. He remembers this day very clearly. Tom wrapped his arm tighter around Harry.

**Harry could see a clearing ahead, through tangled branches of an ancient oak.**

"**Look—" he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.**

**Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.**

**It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.**

**Harry had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered…Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.**

"**AAAAAAAAARGH!" **

**Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted—so did Fang.**

Harry chuckled a little. "You know you scream like a girl Draco." The twins laughed at Draco's expense. Draco growled.

**The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry—unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Harry—he couldn't move for fear.**

**Then a pain like he'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as thought his scar were on fire. Half blinded, he staggered backward. He heard hooved behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure.**

"_I forgive you, you know, for everything." _Harry hissed in parsletongue.

"_Why, Harry, I don't understand it. Why would you forgive me? I killed your parents." _Tom said, trying to reason and not get his hopes up.

"_Yes, I know, but I was a baby, I didn't really have a lot of memories that I can remember about them. Dumbledore, he took away my childhood. He trained me to be a killer. I lost my godfather because of him." _Harry explained. While they were quietly talking the others continued to read.

Tom sighed.

"_I gave your mother a choice you know, to live. But because she was a Gryffindor, she gave her life to save you." _

Harry was shocked, but he chuckled a little at the Gryffindor jab.

"_I never knew that. What about my father?"_

"_Well, I'm assuming you knew about your father's…brashness and courage."_

"_Yes."_

"_He uh…tried to punch me in the face, and I know you knew how unstable I used to be…"_

Harry chuckled.

"_Why didn't he have his wand?"_

"_I'm not sure."_

"_So my mother decided to sacrifice herself even with the choice." _

"_Yes."_

"_And my father, not thinking, and without a wand decided to try and punch you, and with you being, as you put it, unstable, killed him."_

"_Yes."_

"_Well, I understand, sort of. I know my father was…mean and cocky, so that didn't surprise me really. I know my mother loved me and wanted to protect me. What were you going to do if she stood down?" _

"_I was going to take you, and raise you to love the dark side."_

"_She should of just stood down, because look where I am now. But I do understand her choice."_

"_So, you forgive me?"_

"_Yes."_

"_If you two are done being all badger like, would you listen to the story now." _Nagini interrupted.

Harry and Tom stopped talking, or hissing, and listened to the story again. Harry was almost sitting on Tom's lap however. Harry felt a heavy weight lifted off his heart. He felt better knowing that Tom didn't just kill his parents for no reason.

Harry then started to listen to the story again.

**The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.**

**When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his Invisibility Cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a not pinned to it:**

_**Just in case.**_

"Dumbledore gave me the Cloak back right?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I was panning to return in to you at the end of the year, but he took it from me." Minerva said. Harry just nodded.

"That's the end of the chapter." Narcissa said.

"One more chapter before bed." Severus said. Everyone nodded, though the twins didn't want to go to bed, they wouldn't disobey the Dark Lord, two of their old teachers of the Malfoy parents. They were pranksters, not suicidal.

"Who's going to read?"

"I will." Tom said, reaching for the book with one hand, keeping the other on Harry's shoulder.


	18. Chapter 18

**Bold: Original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parsletongue _

Chapter 18

"What were you and Tom hissing about before?" Severus whispered to Harry.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, when we go to the Ministry." Harry said. Severus nodded.

Tom started to read.

**In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the doors at any moment.**

Lucius and Severus snorted.

"I am a Slytherin, I don't go bursting through doors like Gryffindors." Tom said. The Gryffindors looked offended, but if you looked in their eyes, you could see that they were amused.

"Well, you—" Fred started.

"Are using—" George continued.

"Tactics that—"

"Are very—"

"Gryffindorish." Harry, Fred and George said together. Minerva and Narcissa looked amused.

The other Slytherins were silent.

"Well, my lord, they do have a point." Severus said cautiously.

"Really Severus?" Tom said, frightfully calm. Severus gulped.

"Tom, don't do anything, you know it's true." Harry intervened. Tom just sighed and decided to keep reading. Harry smiled at Severus.

(A/n- going to when they go into the room with Fluffy)

**A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor—and the door was already ajar.**

"**Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."**

"It wasn't me." Severus groaned.

Harry went over the Severus, gave him a hug, then back to Tom.

**Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the Cloak, Harry turned to the other two.**

"**If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."**

"**Don't be stupid." Said Ron.**

"**We're coming," said Hermione.**

**Harry pushed the door open.**

**As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.**

"**What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.**

"**Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it here."**

"**It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here it goes…"**

**He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew a breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased—it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.**

"That's a really easy way to calm that beast down. You would think it would take a lot more." Harry said.

"**Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the Cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.**

"They're breath was awful." Harry said, scrunching up his nose.

"**I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"**

"Such a gentleman." Lucius said sarcastically.

"Our brother never did learn." George said sadly.

"**No, I don't!"**

"**All right." Ron gritted his teeth and steeped carefully over the dog's legs. He went and pulled the ring on the trapdoor, which sung up and open.**

"**What can you see?" Hermione asked anxiously.**

"**Nothing—just black—there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."**

**Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.**

"**You want to go first? Are you sure?" Said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."**

**Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.**

**Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom. **

**He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"**

"**Right," said Ron.**

"I have a feeling he wouldn't of if something did happen." Harry said.

"Well, it's a good thing that nothing did happen." Tom said.

"**See you in a minute, I hope…"**

**And Harry let go. Cold, Damp sir rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and—**

**FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.**

Severus and Minerva groaned. They never did like killing plants much.

"**It's okay!" He called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, with was the open trapdoor, "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"**

**Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.**

"**What's this stuff?" Were his first words.**

"**Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"**

"Oh how wrong I was." Harry said.

"Indeed." Severus said in his usual drawling voice.

**The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.**

"**We must be miles under the school," she said.**

"**Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.**

"_**Lucky!" **_** Shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"**

**She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.**

**Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.**

"**Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is—it's Devil's Snare!"**

"**Oh, I'm glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.**

"Was he always that…rude?" Narcissa asked. She didn't like how this boy behaved toward the girl. So impolite and rude.

"Yes." The kids in the room answered, with a nod of agreement from the Professors of Hogwarts.

"**Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Said Hermione.**

"**Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it was it curled around his chest.**

"**Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare…what did Professor Sprout say? —It likes the dark and the damp—"**

"**So light a fire!" Harry choked.**

"**Yes—of course—but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.**

"Was she serious? No wood?" Draco said, smirking a little.

"**HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"**

"**Oh, right!" Said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Same at the plant. IN the matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.**

The twins cheered.

"What, we—" Fred said, noticing Harry's look

"Were cheering—"

"For our favorite brother!" They said together. Harry just shook his head and smiled.

(A/n- going to the keys)

**They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high about them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.**

"**Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Said Ron.**

"**Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once…well, there's no other choice…I'll run."**

"Why do you always volunteer yourself?" Severus groaned. Harry gave a cheeky smile and replied, "Didn't you know I have a hero complex? You've said it enough times." Severus mock-glared.

Tom bent down and whispered, "We're going to have to do something about that, don't we?" He smirked when Harry shivered at the sound of his voice and nodded.

**He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.**

**The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora Charm.**

"**Now what?" Said Ron.**

"**These birds…they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.**

**They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering—**_**glittering?**_

"**They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're **_**keys**_**! Winged keys—look carefully. So that must mean…" he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys.**

"…**Yes—look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"**

"**But there are **_**hundreds **_**of them!"**

**Rom examined the lock on the door.**

"**We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one—probably silver, like the handle."**

**They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.**

"If it was hard to Harry to catch a key, how did Quirrell get through?" George asked.

"Hmm…never really thought about that." Minerva said, thinking hard.

"Could a freezing spell stop them?" Draco asked this time.

"No, I don't believe they could." Severus said, also thinking how a blubbering idiot could use a broomstick.

Tom looked kind of sheepish, Harry noticed.

"_You controlled Quirrell to get the key didn't you?" _Harry hissed.

Tom just nodded. Harry sighed, but said nothing more.

**Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack fer spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the key hole.**

"**That one!" He called to the others. "That big one—there—no, there—with the bright blue wings—the feathers are all crumpled on one side."**

**Ton went seeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the celling, and nearly fell off his broom.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"Too bad he didn't fall off." Draco said. Narcissa gave him a mild glare. She agreed with her son, but he should know better than to say something like that out loud.

"**We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above—Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down—and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"**

**Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.**

**They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned—it worked. The moment the lock clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.**

"I still don't understand how Quirrell got the key." Minerva muttered to herself.

**The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight. **

**They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly—the towering white chessmen had no face.**

"That was a brilliant idea, Minerva." Harry said. Minerva blushed slightly but said "Thank you," nonetheless.

"**Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.**

"**It's obvious, isn't it?" Said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."**

**Behind the white pieces they could see another door.**

"**How?" Said Hermione nervously.**

"**I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."**

**He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's house. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.**

"**Do we—er—have to join you to get across?"**

**The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.**

"**This needs thinking about…" he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces…"**

**Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess—"**

"You're getting better though." Fred said. The twins weren't the type to play, but when Harry and Ron were friends they sometimes glanced over to see what they were doing.

"I can teach you how to be better." Draco offered.

"Thanks." Harry smiled.

"**We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."**

"**Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle." **

"**What about you?"**

"**I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.**

The men in the room snorted.

**The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at thee words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squared that Harry, Ron, and Hermione tool.**

"**White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes…look…"**

**A white pawn moved forward two squared.**

**Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What is they lost?**

"You would have to start over, and play until you win." Minerva answered. Harry just laughed a little.

"**Harry—move diagonally four squared to the right."**

**Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him on the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quiet still, facedown.**

"Did you _have _to make the pieces practically kill each other?" Harry complained.

"Sorry Harry." Minerva said, not sounding sorry at all, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"The big, bad Gryffindor afraid of chess pieces?" Draco mocked. Harry could tell he was joking though if you looked in the blonde's eyes.

"You try going to a chessboard with pieces ten times bigger than you, that could kill you."

"Well, I could set something up like that again. That is if you would want to actually try it." Minerva offered.

"I think that's a good idea, we can do that tomorrow, if there's time." Tom said. Everyone agreeing, excitement clearly visible in all of their eyes.

"**Had to let it happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you to free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."**

**Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players, slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.**

"**We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think—let me think…"**

"I can guarantee, that was the most I've every seen Ron think." Harry said. The twins laughed.

**The white queen turned he blank face toward him.**

"**Yes…" said Ron softly, "it's the only way…I've got to be taken."  
"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.**

"**That's chess!" Snapped Ron. 'You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me—that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"**

"**But—"**

"**Do you want to stop Snape or not?"**

Severus growled a little.

"**Ron—"**

"**Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!" **

**There was no alternative.**

"**Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go—no don't hang around once you've won."**

**He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor—Hermione screamed but stayed on her square—the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.**

Minerva noticed that Narcissa was slightly pale.

"Don't worry, I was planning on modifying it so you won't be severely damaged. Maybe a broken bone was the worst."

Narcissa calmed slightly.

**Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.**

**The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the passageway.**

"**What if he's-?"**

"**He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself.**

'**What do you reckon's next?"**

"**We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's…"**

**They had reached another door.**

"**All right?" Harry whispered.**

"**Go on."**

**Harry pushed it open.**

**A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses.**

**Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.**

"Now, how did Quirrell get past that, he was a blubbering mess with he was the one from Halloween." Harry said.

Tom chose not to say anything and continue to read.

"**I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."**

**He pulled open the door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next—but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.**

"**Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"**

**They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. As the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.**

"**Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:**

"Why did you have flames come up behind us?" Harry wondered.

"So, if you couldn't figure it out, you would starve to death, that is, if you didn't drink one of the potions that kills you." Severus smirked. Harry should have guessed that, after all, the other obstacles could have killed you just as easily.

"By the way, that was also a brilliant idea." Severus just nodded his head in thanks.

_**Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**_

_**Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,**_

_**One among us seven will transport the drinker back instead,**_

_**Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**_

_**Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.**_

_**Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,**_

_**To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**_

_**First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**_

_**You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**_

_**Second, different are those who stand at either end,**_

_**But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;**_

_**Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**_

_**Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**_

_**Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**_

_**Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.**_

**Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing.**

"_**Brilliant,**_**" said Hermione. "This isn't magic—it's logic—a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't get an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."**

"**But so will we, won't we?"**

"**Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."**

"**But how do we know which on to drink?"**

"**Give me a minute."**

**Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.**

"**Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire—toward the Stone."  
**

'How did she figure it out so quickly? It took me much longer to.' Tom thought.

**Harry looked at the tiny bottle.**

"**There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."**

**They looked at each other.**

"**Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"**

**Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.**

"**You drink that," said Harry. "No listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy-go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him."**

Harry snorted.

"**I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."**

"So glad to hear you say that." Severus mocked. Harry mock-glared.

"**But Harry—what if You-Know-Who's with him?"**

"**Well—I was lucky once, wasn't I?" Said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."**

"And many times more." Tom muttered. Harry just smiled.

**Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.**

"_**Hermione!" **_

"**Harry—you're a great wizard, you know."**

"**Now at good at you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.**

"**Me!" Said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things—friendship and bravery and—oh Harry—be **_**careful!"**_

"It's good to know that she knows her priorities." George said.

"**You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"**

"**Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.**

"**It's not poison?" Said Harry anxiously.**

"**No—but it's like ice."**

"**Quick, go, before it wears off."**

"**Good luck—take care—"**

"**GO!" **

**Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple flames.**

**Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.**

"**Here I come," he said, and drained the little bottle in one gulp.**

**It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black fire licking his body, but couldn't feel them—for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire—then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.**

**There was already someone there—but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.**

Harry shuddered. He moved from Tom's arms into Severus'. Harry didn't notice the sad look on Tom's face.

"That's the end of the chapter."

"How many are left?" Severus asked.

Tom flipped through the book.

"One."

"Could we just read the last chapter, and have a free day to do what we were planning on doing tomorrow?" Draco wondered.

"Please, Please, Please." The twins said, looking like five year olds. The adults laughed.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. We do have a busy day, an adoption, a chess game, and a Quidditch game." Narcissa said. The other adults agreed. They all would be in bed by al least midnight now.

"Thanks!" Draco and the twins yelled. Harry was snuggled up against Severus' side, he didn't want to hear the end of this book, but he didn't have a choice, he would hear it one way or another.

"So, who's going to read?" Draco asked, trying to maintain some composure.

"I will." Minerva said, reaching for the book from Tom.


	19. Chapter 19

**Bold: Original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parsletongue _

Chapter 19

"Hey, where'd Nagini go?" George asked.

"I assume she went to my room." Tom said, also wondering where his familiar went.

"This chapter is called **The Man with Two Faces."** Tom and Harry flinched slightly.

**It was Quirrell.**

"_**You!"**_** Gasped Harry.**

**Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.**

"**Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."**

"**But I though—Snape—"**

"**Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"**

Severus growled. He hated when people called him that. Harry just hugged the man, and he calmed down.

**Harry couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it couldn't.**

"**But Snape tried to kill me!"**

"**NO, no, no. **_**I**_** tried to kill you. Your friend Miss. Granger accidently knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter curse, trying to save you."**

"**Snape was trying to **_**save **_**me?"**

"**Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really…he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he **_**did **_**make himself unpopular…and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight.**

"How come you didn't tell Dumbledore why you wanted to referee?" Draco asked.

"I did, but the old fool didn't believe me." Severus sneered. Harry made a funny growling sound. Severus rubbed circles on Harry's back to calm him.

"You know, Quirrell didn't really have any tactic to his speech." Lucius said.

"Well, he did get it from Tom, really, he's the only one who tells me he's going to kill me before trying to." Harry said a little coldly. Tom just flinched.

**Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry.**

"**You're too nosy, to live Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."**

"_**You **_**let the troll in?"**

"**Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls—you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off—and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly. Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."**

Harry started to shake a little. Tom tried to do something, but Severus shook his head, and Tom sat back down.

**It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror if Erised.**

"**This mirror if the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this…but he's in London…I'll be far away by the time he gets back…"**

"Oh how wrong he was." Harry mumbled.

**All Harry could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentration on the mirror.**

"**I saw you and Snape in the forest—" he blurted out.**

"**Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me—as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side…"**

Severus paled a little; he didn't know Tom was there during that.

"So, you, uh, heard everything I said?" Severus managed to ask Tom.

"Yes, it was quite amusing."

"Then why didn't you do anything when you came back to power?" Severus wondered.

"You are a great wizard, and an even greater spy, loosing you wouldn't help at all." Tom casually replied.

"You know, you aren't going to spy anymore." Harry put in his opinion. "I don't want you to be found out, I can't loose you too." Harry revealed. Severus couldn't find any words. He just hugged Harry.

"I won't spy anymore, I promise." He whispered into Harry's ear.

**Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.**

"**I see the Stone…I'm presenting it to my master…but where is it?"**

**Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. He **_**had **_**to keep Quirrell from giving is whole attention to the mirror.**

"**But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."**

"**Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you **_**dead**_**."**

"**But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing—I thought Snape was threatening you…"**

**For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.**

Severus smirked in amusement.

"**Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions—he is a great wizard and I am weak—"**

"You don't say." Draco sneered.

"**You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped.**

(A/n-skipping to when Voldemort is revealed.)

"**What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"**

**And to Harry's horror, a voice answered, and voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.**

Harry was shaking even harder. Severus couldn't think of anything useful to say, so he just held onto Harry tighter.

"**Use the boy…Use the boy…"**

**Quirrell rounded on Harry.**

"**Yes—Potter—come here."**

**He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.**

"**Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see." **

**Harry walked toward him.**

_**I must lie, **_**he thought desperately. **_**I must look and lit about what I see, that's all.**_

**Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban.**

Tom coughed uncomfortably. Harry ignored him.

**He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.**

**He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocked and pulled out a blood red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocked—and as it did do, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocked. Somehow—incredibly—**_**he'd gotten the Stone.**_

The twins cheered. Harry blushed a little. He had calmed down slightly, for now.

"**Well?" Said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"**

**Harry screwed up his courage.**

"**I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented.**

"**I—I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor."**

Draco snorted.

**Quirrell cursed again.**

"**Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Sorcerer's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?**

**But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell's lips weren't moving.**

"**He lies…he lies…"**

"**Potter, get back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell the truth! What did you see?"**

**The voice spoke again.**

"**Let me speak to him—face-to-face…"**

"**Master, you are not strong enough!"**

"**I have enough strength for his…"**

**Harry felt as if the Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban.**

Harry began shaking again. Tom didn't know what to do, he tried to grab Harry's hand in a comforting way, but Harry moved his hand away. Tom gave Harry a sad look.

**What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.**

**Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.**

Everyone in the room except Harry, Severus, and Tom looked slightly green. Dumbledore hadn't told Minerva what happened to Quirrell, well not the whole truth anyways. Minerva cursed the man to hell and back. Harry was shaking very badly now, he didn't like anything that happened in the past for the most part. Severus tried to calm him but nothing worked.

The twins and Draco were slightly pale. Narcissa was almost green in the face. Lucius also paled, no one knew why though.

"**Harry Potter…" it whispered.**

**Harry tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move.**

"**Wee what I have become?" The face said. "A mere shadow and vapor…I have form only when I can share someone's body…but there have always been people willing to let me into their hearts and minds…Unicorn blood has strengthened me the past weeks…you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest…and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create my own body…Now…why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"**

**So he knew. The feeling suddenly surged back into Harry's legs. He stumbled backward.**

"**Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me…or you'll meet the same end as your parents…they died begging for mercy…" **

Harry was getting worse. Tom felt helpless. The twins noticed Harry; they got up and pulled Harry down to the floor with them, an arm from both twins wrapped around Harry. Harry started to calm slightly, though not a lot. Harry was now sitting on the floor in between Fred and George. Severus was massaging Harry's shoulders. This action calmed the green-eyed teen more.

"**LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.**

**Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.**

"**How touching…" it hissed. "I always value bravery…Yes, boy, your parents were brave…I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight…but your mother needn't have died…she was trying to protect you…Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."**

Everyone was glaring at Tom, who just looked at the floor.

"**NEVER!"**

**Harry sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort creamed "SEIZE HIM!" And the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and it his surprise, Quirrell let go of him. The pain in his lead lessened—he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers—they were blistering before his eyes.**

"**Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" Shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck—Harry's scar was almost blinding him with pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony.**

"**Master, I can't hold him—my hands, my hands!"**

**And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered at his own palm—Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red and shiny.**

"**Then kill him, fool, and be done!" Screeched Voldemort.**

**Quirrell raised his hand to preform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face—**

"**AAAARGH!"**

**Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain—his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.**

Everyone looked pale. Harry was still shaking. Tom was still looking at the ground, ashamed of what he had done.

'This isn't even the worst of it.' Tom thought sadly to himself.

**Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off—the pain in Harry's head was building—he couldn't see—he could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" And other voices, maybe in Harry's head, crying, "Harry! Harry!"**

**He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down…down…down…**

Everyone was now looking at Harry. The teen was curled up in Fred's side. Tom suddenly got up and went to his rooms.

Everyone stared after him. After a moment he called back, "Continue to read without me, I will be back soon." 'Maybe' he added to himself.

Once in his room, he saw Nagini curled up on the windowsill.

"_Hello, why did you come up here?" _Tom wondered.

"_I was getting tired, and the humans were being to loud, so I came here. Why are you here?" _Nagini shot right back.

"_They just finished reading about the first fight between me and Harry."_

"_The one with the turban man?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Oh, how is lightning bolt?"_

Tom sighed and sat down on the bed. _"Not well. I feel awful now. I never wanted to do any of that. That damn prophecy got me obsessed with killing him. I would rather him as an ally then dead. I wouldn't want him dead at all. Ever since he came here, and I have gained my old body, I find him attractive. I want to be more to him than just the leader of the dark. "_

"_Did you tell him that?"_

"_What?"_

"_Did you tell him what you just told me?"_

"_I…no, I didn't"_

"_Well, I think you should. From what I've heard and seen, the youngling has been through a great deal…"_

"_Most from me." _Tom interrupted.  
"_Yes, but from what I've heard, also from his realities. He has suffered greatly, but he has a big heart, and easily forgiving. If you explain what you have just told me, then he will forgive you completely, I think. But, you must remember to give him time also. Prove to him you are not the man you once were. I am sure, if you do, you will gain so much more." _The usually snarky snake said. Tom thought about it for a few minutes.

"_You are right, Nagini. I will talk to him. But not now."_

"_Soon, Master. Or I will tell lightning bolt myself."_

"_I…fine. I promise, soon."_

Nagini nodded in approval. "_Good, now go back down and finish reading the book, I will still be here when you get back."_

With that Tom left, and went back to the living room.

When Tom walked back in everyone looked up. Harry gave him a small, sad smile. Tom just nodded and sat back down. He motioned for Minerva to continue reading.

"**Another year done!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts… Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding and the points stand as thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 312 points. In third, Hufflepuff with 352 points. Ravenclaw had 426 points and Slytherin with 472."**

**A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.**

"Honestly Draco. You have more decorum than that. Even if you did win the House Cup." Lucius said.

"**Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."**

**The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.**

"**Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes… First—to Mr. Ronald Weasley.**

"Did he do that on purpose?" Narcissa asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him." Severus sneered.

**Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.**

"…**For the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many year, 50 points to Gryffindor."**

**Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars ever head seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"**

"How did he know about that?" Harry asked.

"I have no idea. Dumbledore didn't tell anyone anything." Minerva said, frowning slightly.

**AT last there was silence again.**

"**Second—to Hermione Granger…for the cool use of logic in the face or fire, I award Gryffindor 50 points."**

**Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves—they were a hundred points up.**

"**Third—to Mr. Harry Potter…" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "…For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor 60 points."**

**The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had 472 points—exactly the same at Slytherin. They had tied for the House Cup—if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.**

**Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent. **

"**There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. Therefore, I award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."**

(A/n-skipping this paragraph)

Harry and the twins would have cheered, but they didn't know what side of the war Neville was on.

"**Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "We need a little change of decoration."**

**He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver because gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible forced smile.**

Minerva chuckled. That had been a great day for her.

**He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot.**

"They are changed now." Severus reminded Harry, who smiled.

**This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.**

Harry, Severus and Minerva snorted. It was never normal, even on a wizarding standard of normal.

**It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls…he would never, ever forger tonight.**

Harry had a small smile on his face. It was true; he never did forget that day.

(A/n-going to when Vernon shows up in King's Cross)

"**Ready, are you?"**

**It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.**

Severus snorted. Petunia never did like it when her sister, Lily Evans, came home from Hogwarts.

"**You must be Harry's family!" Said Mrs. Weasley.**

"**In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry u, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.**

**Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.**

"**See you over the summer, then."**

"**Hope you have—er—a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.**

"Just wait till they meet you, Lucius." Severus said, a mischievous glint in his eye. Narcissa giggled and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"**Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "**_**They**_** don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer…"**

Everyone laughed at that.

"You are truly a Slytherin at heart." Severus said, smiling at his son-to-be.

Tom stayed quiet for the remainder of the book. He didn't know what to say right now. He would talk to Harry, but not today, or tomorrow, possibly the next. His eyes then widened a fraction.

'Oh, shit.' He thought. 'I still need to get Harry a birthday present. When's his birthday again? Two days from now? Yes, I'll get him a gift the day before, surprise him. I know just what to get.'

Tom smirked inwardly.

"I believe it's time to go to bed. We all have a long and busy day tomorrow, especially you, Harry." Severus said. The kids nodded and trudged up the stairs. The adults following shortly after.

Harry's last thought before he fell asleep was, 'I'm going to have a father tomorrow.' He fell asleep smiling also.


	20. Chapter 20

**Bold: Original series by J.K Rowling**

_Italics: Parsletongue _

Chapter 20

"Harry, wake up." Severus said, gently shaking his soon-to-be son's shoulder.

"Mhm... Go 'way." Harry mumbled.

"Come on, we need to go to the ministry."

"Don't wanna."

"Well, alright, you don't have to be my son." Severus said, reverting to Slytherin tactics.

Harry bolted up right at those words.

"Of course I want to be your son!" He practically yelled.

"Good, get ready, we will leave in half an hour. Lucius will be accompanying us also, to make sure everything is kept secret."

Harry jumped from the bed and started to get ready for the day. When Harry came down, they had a quick breakfast, everyone wishing them luck as they left.

Harry had to use mild glamors in the beginning to get past the guards without difficulty.

Lucius led them to the adoption part of the ministry. He spelled the door shut, using locking and silencing charms for privacy.

"I don't kn-" The witch at the counter started to say, but stopped when she saw Harry take off the glamors.

"Mr. Potter, pleased to meet you, what can I do for you?" She said politely. She had brown wavy hair down to her waist and brown curious eyes.

"Hello." Harry said politely. "Well, we were wondering if you could do an adoption for us, but keep it a secret."

"O-of course, Mr. Potter. Who is the lucky father-to-be?"

"That would be me." Severus said, stepping behind Harry, his hands rested on the latter's shoulders.

The witch's eyes widen slightly, but composed herself quickly.

"Well, congratulations. Just let me go get the paperwork." She left the desk, went to a file cabinet, and pulled out series of papers. She came back a moment later.

"Right, now I just have to ask a few questions. It's protocol, so sorry." She said apologetically.

"Very well, but can we make it quick, I don't want anyone knowing that we're here." Harry said politely.

"Of course." She ushered them into a conference room.

"These are simple questions. Just answer honestly."

Harry nodded, so did Severus. Lucius was also there; he would witness the signing and questions.

"Mr. Potter,"

"Call me Harry."

"Harry," she corrected and smiled. "Did you agree willingly at Mr. Snape's request to adopt you?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Snape, what are your intentions for adopting Harry?"

"I would like for him to be kept far away from his muggle relatives. I also in the past few days, saw a lot of my self in him, I would be proud to call him my son."

The witch smiled.

"Just one more question. Harry, would you like to be blood adopted?"

"What's that?"

"A blood adoption would mean that you would inherit my physical features. There wouldn't be any question that you are my son, since my blood would be involved in the adoption, hence, blood adoption."

"Oh, would I keep any of my parent's feature?"  
"I don't believe so, you would gain features from my ancestors and myself."

"Oh." Harry sounded a little disappointed. He always liked his eyes, and wanted to keep them. Severus had noticed.

"What's wrong Harry?"  
"Well, I would love to be blood adopted by you, but I was hoping that I could keep my eye color."

"I also, wish that you could keep your eye color."

"Could we do a blood adoption later if we choose to?" He asked the witch.

"Of course."

Harry sighed in relief. He didn't want to make a big decision so quickly.

"I think I would just like to the regular adoption for now."

"Yes, understandable. All I need you to do is to sign these papers. No one will ever know."

"Thank you Miss…"

"Call me Melissa."

"Then, thank you, Melissa." Harry smiled.

With that, the trio left the ministry unnoticed by anyone. They flooed back to the manor. By the time they got back it was an hour to lunchtime. Harry went to take a quick nap, while Severus and Lucius went to tell everyone the news.

After lunch, true to their words, everyone went out to the back yard to watch Harry and Draco fly. The twins brought out their brooms so they could fly after they were done. Harry had the latest broom, the lightning strike 4x. Draco had the firebolt X.

"The rules are—" Fred said.

" That there—"

"Are no rules!"

Harry and Draco grinned at each other.

"Oh, this isn't going to end well." Narcissa mumbled.

"Severus, have some potions just incase." Tom said.

Severus just accioed the potions to him.

"On the count of three I will release the snitch." Tom said.

"One…Two…Three…" The golden ball flew from his hands and into the air. It flew around the spectators, then around Harry and Draco. It then decided to land in the middle of the two boys. They both sped toward it, the snitch decided to fly upwards. Draco and Harry were neck and neck. Then an unexpected bird flew in front of Draco. He caused Harry to swerve to miss the blonde. The snitch was out of sight.

Harry flew around looking for it, Draco doing the same. Suddenly, Harry saw a glint of gold sparkle from the corner of his eye. He sped toward the ground, well the mini lake to be exact. The snitch leveled out right before it would hit the water. Harry abruptly pulled his broom upwards, the tail brushing against the water, causing a spray to come from the back of the broom. Draco was soon following.

"Give up Harry!" The blonde called.

"Never!"

The snitch took an immediate left, right into Harry's hand. They landed next to the group. Harry looking smug, Draco was pouting. The others looked very impressed.

"That's my son." Severus said, smiling. Harry beamed and hugged the man.

"Now that your done, do you think we could race?" George asked.

"Sure."

So for the next two hours, the boys were racing around on their brooms. Surprisingly, Lucius, Severus, and Tom joined the boys an hour into their racing. Lucius and Severus had been chasers in their days at Hogwarts. They haven't flown since then, and they loved it. Tom had been a seeker, and a pretty good one. He and Harry had competition of who could catch the snitch. Harry won, but my mere luck, as Tom claimed. They had been racing at the same speed and at the last moment, a branch startled Tom, and had to dive, leaving Harry open for 'the kill'.

The boys, and men, decided to take a nap until dinner. Flying could tire anyone out. The ladies were sitting in the sunroom, talking about anything and everything. Looking out occasionally at the men flying.

So far it had been an excellent day in Harry's mind.

After a dinner of their favorite foods, they wend down to the 'dungeon', which turned into a basement. Minerva had set up the chessboard as promised. They decided to play, Slytherins against Gryffindors. Narcissa decided to watch. So the teams were even. Even if the Slytherins were all adults. It had been an interesting experience to say the least. The Gryffindors managed to hold their own against the Slytherins. The old school rivalry's shining through, good naturally, of course. True to Minerva's word, there were minimal injuries. The worst was that Severus had a broken nose…again. Oddly enough though, when his nose was fixed again, it was no longer crooked. It looked 'perfect' as Severus put it. They played well into the night. By their last round, they were tied; 2 to 2.

"Well, it seems like we have a tie." Narcissa said. "Oh, look at the time! It's nearly midnight! We should all go to bed." Everyone nodded in agreement. The pieces were put back together and replaced on the board.

"We will finish to declare the winners tomorrow with a final game." Severus said.

With that, everyone went to bed.

Everything has been going smoothly for the most part. Tom was worried though when they were going to read the next book and the fourth book. He went to sleep with these thoughts. Harry went to bed smiling again. This was the most he's ever smiled since Sirius' death. Things were finally looking up for the boy-who-lived.

* * *

Sequel coming soon, hopefully. I will start writing it tomorrow. Read and Review!


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